Protection
by thepointarchitect
Summary: Ariadne and Eames have been considered the dynamic duo for quite some time now. But when Eames is afraid to tell Ariadne he loves her, they go their separate ways. Will he be able to prove his love before she moves on?
1. Chapter 1

**Here's the next fic I've been working on :) I'll try to update as soon as I can. Hope you like it and leave plenty of reviews!**

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not even Inception on DVD :(_

"Are we there yet?" Ariadne's voice was giddy but nervous. She wasn't too fond of surprises. She tilted her head back and took a deep breath. She knew Eames had taken her to somewhere near the water because she could hear the waves crashing against the shore. The air smelled of sea salt and she felt the warm sand beneath her feet. She could feel the wind hitting her cheeks lightly and her hair danced in the breeze. The bandanna wrapped around her eyes began coming loose and she felt Eames' large frame press up against her back.

"Are you ready?" he whispered huskily in her ear. Ariadne nodded and he removed the blindfold.

Ariadne opened her eyes slowly. She was breathless. They were standing on a beautiful beach that was secluded from everybody else. The sun was low in the sky and was close to setting, causing an orange glow to glisten across the water. Eames had set up a picturesque picnic complete with a large wicker basket, a bottle of wine, and a red checkered quilt. Eames remained behind Ariadne, wrapping his arms around her petite figure and nestling his head in her hair.

"What do you think, love?"

"It's perfect." Ariadne turned her head to the side to kiss his cheek. "Who knew you could be such a romantic?"

Eames chuckled and walked her forwards. He sat down on the blanket first and Ariadne remained standing, observing him. He absentmindedly began unpacking the food and Ariadne grazed her eyes over his tan muscular figure, his scruffy beard, the white shirt he had folded at the elbows to reveal chiseled forearms and open at least three buttons to reveal his prominent pecs. Ariadne realized how lucky she was. How did a small girl like herself land someone like Eames? Their relationship truly was a mystery to the both of them and practically everyone they knew.

Eames finally took notice of Ariadne's stance and looked up at her nervously, shielding the sun from his eyes with one hand.

"Did I miss something?" he asked.

Ariadne shook her head feeling silly and curled up on the blanket next to him. He handed her a turkey and cheese sandwich and Ariadne took a small bite out of it. He held her loose in his arms and they both looked out over the ocean. They could hear the sounds of seagulls in the distance.

"So what's all this for?" she wondered aloud.

"Well Ari, you're very special to me. And I know that the job we just worked got you really stressed and freaked out so I thought it would be nice to have a weekend to ourselves." Ariadne could hear the smile on his face.

"Where are we staying then?"

Ariadne felt him shift behind her and she turned to see him pointing a finger to a small gray beach house behind them, perfect for just the two of them. Ariadne giggled in delight and pulled his face to hers, planting a salty kiss on his lips.

"Wine, darling?" Eames gestured to the bottle that appeared in his hands.

"Yes please." Ariadne sat up and held out her glass.

"No work for a while, agreed?" Eames took a swig out of his glass and then leaned back on the sand.

Ariadne swallowed some of the sweet wine and lay in the arm Eames had outstretched.

"Unless Arthur needs our help with something."

"That stick in the mud will always be working a case. I'm surprised he didn't have us flying out to some seedy city in Mexico right after we were finished." Eames laughed.

"He'll find someone to loosen him up eventually." Ariadne said wistfully. She trickled her fingers up and down the exposed skin of Eames' chest and he sighed contentedly. Suddenly she sat upright, a teasing grin playing on the corners of her lips.

"Eames, you know better than to wear a white shirt while drinking red wine." One of her hands held her glass loosely and she traced the rim of it with her other hand. Eames watched her not quite catching on yet. "Wine stains are absolutely _horrific_ to remove." Ariadne taunted and then casually tipped her glass over onto Eames' shirt. Eames bolted upright and finally caught on to Ariadne's mischievous grin.

"If you wanted to get me undressed dear, all you had to do was ask." Eames whispered in her ear. He grabbed his shirt from the back of his neck and hoisted it over his head, revealing his toned tattooed torso. Ariadne blushed and stood up quickly as he advanced on her. She gave him a wink and made a sprint for the ocean trying to get a head start. She knew Eames could easily catch up to her. Digging her bare feet into the sand she was almost there. Her feet nearly touched the shoreline when she felt herself being lifted into the air and spun around.

"Eames!" she shrieked and Eames laughed heartily. She could feel Eames' body heat radiating through her thin summer clothing. He finally set her lightly on her feet and she took his hands guiding him towards the water. Once they were a little further past waist deep Eames brought Ariadne close to him. She slipped off her soaked top over her head and Eames chucked it towards the shoreline.

"Let's see if you can get a tan while we're here, eh?" Eames teased and kissed her neck.

Ariadne punched him playfully in the chest and wriggled away from his grasp. She swam a ways underwater, removing her wraparound skirt. She resurfaced holding it out in one hand to Eames. She tossed it towards the shoreline and kept her distance from Eames who was watching her lustfully.

She grinned at him and allowed him to close the distance between the two. She wrapped her legs around his torso and floated in the waves with him as they kissed passionately. Ariadne ran her hands through his wet hair and held his face tight to hers. She was sure their lips would be bruised afterwards. Eames kissed tenderly along her collarbone and she ran her hands down to his muscular shoulders. She held on tight, her fingernails leaving marks. Eames swirled around in the water then causing it to splash up around them and Ariadne giggled.

"Skinny dipping while the sun's still out? Aren't we daring," Eames muttered as he leaned his forehead against Ariadne's.

Ariadne responded by kissing him again.

* * *

The couple woke up the next morning to the sun shining on their faces and the pounding of footsteps along the sand. They were wrapped up in the red checkered quilt they had used for the picnic; nothing was exposed except for their feet poking out the bottom of the quilt. Ariadne slept peacefully on top of a stirring Eames.

The muttering of voices as a group of runners ran by woke Eames. He blinked around dazedly and saw the runners heading off in the opposite direction. He chuckled to himself and brushed the hair away from Ariadne's sleeping face. Ariadne stirred and opened her eyes sleepily to look at Eames.

"Morning, darling. Sleep well?"

She smiled up at him and closed her eyes, resting her head back on his chest.

"What time is it?" she murmured.

"According to the sun, probably around six or seven?" Eames said knowingly.

Ariadne's eyes opened wide and she looked at him.

"You do not know that."

"What makes you think I wouldn't know how to read the sun? Native Americans or whoever did it all the time back then."

"Eames, you're British." Ariadne snapped.

He paused. "Doesn't mean I can't learn."

Ariadne laughed and reached up a hand to brush his cheek. "So what have we got planned for today?"

"Nothing yet. But I'm liking this." Eames smirked and his hands slid gently down her backside. Ariadne rolled her eyes and began to retreat from Eames' grip.

"I do too but I need to shower this salt out of my hair first." Ariadne pulled the quilt along with her as she started to stand, leaving a half exposed Eames lying on the sand.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Eames grabbed ahold of one end of the quilt and jerked it back down causing Ariadne to collapse onto the sand next to him.

"Eames!" she exclaimed exasperatedly but laughed as she saw Eames' worried expression. "Alright, come on." They stood up in sync and walked with the quilt wrapped around the two of them into the house.

* * *

The Fischer job had been over a year ago. Ariadne coincidentally ended up staying in the same hotel as Eames while in Los Angeles. He was always there for her when she would wake screaming and confused from the nightmares. She'd walk down to his room and eventually he'd help her fall back to sleep, nothing more than just comforting her for the first week. Then came the night where things went further than expected; the romance between them had been building up until then. Eames took a chance one night and kissed her. She reciprocated and it led to them sleeping together. Their relationship steadily continued to build over the next two months. They soon began to work jobs together, travelling all over the world. If Cobb or Arthur happened to call for Eames' help they would always expect Ariadne. If they called for Ariadne's help then they always expected Eames. They became a bit of a dynamic duo together.

None of the other members of the team that worked on the Fischer job ever saw Eames or Ariadne ending up together. Neither did the two themselves. But something clicked and it worked and they both seemed to like it.

Eames lounged on the dense beach sofa in the sitting room of the beach house. He drummed his fingers on his chest to the guitar riff of some rock song as he waited for Ariadne to get out of the shower. His phone buzzed pulling him out of his mental concert and he glanced at the caller ID. Reluctantly, he answered.

"What do you want, Arthur? It better not be another job." Eames moaned.

"That last job was for Cobb. I need your help with this one, Eames. It's risky."

"Alright, what do you got for us?" he sat up paying closer attention.

"No, Eames. Not Ariadne. Not on this one." Arthur stated plainly.

"What are you talking about? Don't you need an architect?" Eames questioned.

"Yes I do. But not Ariadne. This job is dangerous and its one I'd rather not expose her to."

"Okay, you've got my attention. What is it?"

"We're going into the mind of Bruce Parsons. He's a violent crime boss who specializes in drug trade and sex trafficking. He's in holding now and he'll be tried soon. But he sent out a shipment recently that's went off the grid. It's supposed to have at least fifty kidnapped women. We need to extract where it is."

Eames took in a sharp breath and let Arthur's words sink in. Arthur noticed.

"Now you know the gravity of this request."

"I understand." Eames nodded although Arthur couldn't see.

"Are you in?"

"I'm in."

"Catch a flight to Seattle 7pm tonight. I already booked you a flight."

"What if I hadn't agreed?"

"I knew you would. Can you make it here by tonight?"

Eames sighed and looked towards the bathroom where Ariadne was.

"Yeah, I'll see you soon mate."

Arthur ended the call without saying goodbye and Eames set his phone down on the table. How was he supposed to tell Ariadne? He heard the shower shut off and he held his head in his hands sighing deeply.

Ariadne walked out of the bathroom with a short white towel wrapped around her body. Her damp hair splayed out on her shoulders and had fat water droplets collecting at the ends. She smiled at Eames but it quickly dissipated as she noticed his stance.

"Eames, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.

"Arthur called."

"A job already? I thought you said we were taking time off for ourselves." Ariadne's voice got defensive. She folded her arms across her chest.

"_You_ still can. It's a dangerous job, Ari."

"I can handle myself."

"Arthur didn't ask for you. He specifically didn't want you on board with this one."

"That's ridiculous!" Ariadne sounded hurt.

"Love, we're trying to protect you. Remember when I told you I'd keep you safe? This is me keeping you safe."

Ariadne's face softened and her voice dropped to a whisper. "When do you leave?"

Eames exhaled. "Tonight."

Ariadne looked at the wooden floor trying to hide her hurt and then stalked off towards the bedroom slamming the door.

Eames watched her go deciding whether or not to follow her. Eventually he realized that he had to pack his things that were in the bedroom so he pushed himself up off the couch and timidly walked over to the door. He tried the handle but it was locked; he knocked lightly.

"Ari? Open the door, darling." Eames pleaded. He pressed his ear to the door to see if he could hear any movement. He heard the bed creak and soft footsteps pad towards the door. He heard a click and then tried the doorknob again which was now unlocked. He slowly pushed it open and Ariadne had already made her way back over to the dresser. Eames' heart sank when he saw Ariadne's reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were red rimmed and her cheeks were tear-stained.

Eames moved across the room and tried to wrap his arms around her from behind. She shrugged them off and moved towards the bed without saying anything except for the sound of a small sniffle. She sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled her knees up to her chest. Eames eased himself down next to her and this time she didn't pull away from his contact.

"Ari, will you look at me please?"

Ariadne stubbornly refused and continued to stare at her fingers fiddling on top of her knees. Eames gripped her hands and brought them to his mouth to kiss them gently. Silent tears fell down her face. Ariadne finally caved and curled up in Eames' lap, burying her face in his shoulder.

"How long?" Ariadne choked out.

"I'm not sure. Probably months. You know how it usually is." he sighed and rubbed her back.

"Why would you do this? Plan this beautiful weekend for the both of us and then just take off?"

Eames winced a little at her words. "People are in danger, love."

Ariadne punched his chest out of frustration—not at Eames—but at the fact that there were horrible people like Bruce Parsons out in the world.

"We'll come back here. I promise. And no matter what, next time I will say no to whatever jobs Arthur or Cobb has lined up for us."

Ariadne shrugged and let the subject rest for now.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the next chapter :) There is a bit of a time jump so I'm sorry if that made the chapter feel rushed! Since I didn't update yesterday I'm going to try and post chapter 3 later tonight but we'll see how that goes. I'm kind of stumped on where I want to bring the story so if I don't have it up tonight, it'll definitely be up tomorrow!**

The drive to the airport was painfully quiet. Ariadne had barely talked to him all evening after their conversation. Eames looked over nervously from the driver's seat at Ariadne wringing her hands in her lap. He gripped the steering wheel and tried to focus on the road. The sky was darkening as if it was going to storm, almost like it was mimicking Ariadne's mood. Ariadne had booked an 8pm flight to Paris since she saw no point in staying at the beach house when Eames wasn't going to be there.

They pulled into the parking lot and walked around to the trunk to grab their bags. Eames lifted Ariadne's suitcase out for her and she muttered, "Thank you," quietly.

Ariadne's sour mood began to fade as they neared Eames' gate. She slipped her hand into his and he stopped, turning her to face him.

"Ariadne, we _will_ have our weekend. Just know that." he gripped her by her shoulders and planted a solid kiss on her forehead. There was a good eight inches or so of height difference between the two as he hugged her close.

Ariadne let out a small smile and pulled him in tighter. She smothered her face in his chest breathing in his cologne. Passerbys watched them as if they were just any other couple sending each other off. The PA came on announcing the boarding of Eames' flight and Ariadne pulled away slowly. She picked up her carry-on and turned quickly on her heel, blinking back the hot tears. The future was completely uncertain; she had no idea when her next chance to see him would be.

"Ari—" Eames called. Eames shot out his hand to grab her by the wrist. He spun her around smoothly and gave her a kiss to remember. She dropped her bag and reached her arms up to loop them around his neck. He finally pulled away breathing hard. "I've got to go. I'll call you when I can, alright love?"

Ariadne nodded, her forehead resting against his. She gave him a quick peck on the lips and turned away. Eames held onto her hand for as long as he could without moving from his spot until their hands finally parted. Ariadne couldn't bear to look back at him. Eames stood rooted to his spot watching her fade into the crowd.

* * *

The flight for Eames was restless. _This job better be successful._ He thought angrily. He was gonna have Arthur have it when he landed.

* * *

The ten and a half hour flight for Ariadne was equally as restless. Although she had to endure it for eight hours more than Eames. Ariadne was situated comfortably in first class but she still didn't like flying alone. She didn't mind it; just if she had an option it's not what she would choose. Every time she entered a first class cabin of a plane she always flashbacked to the Fischer job.

"Anything to drink ma'am?" a smiling stewardess asked.

"Uh, no thanks." Ariadne shook her head and turned to look out the window. She reclined in her seat and attempted to try and sleep.

* * *

Eames landed in Seattle just after 9:30pm. He checked his phone as soon as he landed and listened to a message from Arthur.

_Eames, its Arthur. We're staying at the Sorrento. Room 915._

Eames rubbed his eyes sleepily and made his way through the airport. He hailed a cab and directed the driver to take him to the nearest bar.

* * *

Ariadne arrived in Paris a little after half past eight the next morning. She was tired and grumpy with only one two hour layover. She checked her phone. _No messages_. _Eames should've called by then. _She shoved her phone back into her hand bag and hailed a cab.

* * *

Eames relaxed in a booth to himself at one of the several bars around. He tilted his glass of scotch around in his hand, studying the amber liquid when an attractive female approached his booth.

"Waiting for anybody?" she asked with a charming smile.

"Not in particular." he answered dully without looking up.

The woman slid into the booth next to him laying a hand on his forearm, causing him to put down his glass. Normally he'd have picked this girl up before she even had approached him but he had someone he cared about now.

"So, what brings you here?"

"Work." he answered shortly. She traced her long manicured fingernails up and down his arm.

"I love a busy man." she purred in his ear.

Eames turned his head to face her and was shocked to find himself in a sudden lip lock with the stranger he didn't even know the name of. He pushed her away disgusted and stood up to grab his coat.

"Bloody Americans." he mumbled.

"So you're British?" she said delightedly taking note of his accent and then leaned far across the table.

"Yes and I'm also taken."

And with that he left.

* * *

Ariadne sat on her couch staring at her phone on the coffee table in front of her. Eames should've landed eight hours before she had and he still hadn't called or left a message. She finally reached for it deciding to call him but then she threw it back down on the couch cushion. If Eames said he'd call, he'd call.

* * *

Eames banged on the hotel room door and Arthur opened it expectantly.

"Good to see you too, Eames." he greeted sarcastically.

Eames grimaced at him and went straight for one of the bedrooms.

"Rough flight?" Arthur asked as he leaned up against the doorway casually. Eames ignored him and continued to unpack his suitcase, throwing clothes into the dresser. "I'll leave you to it then."

* * *

Ariadne woke up at 3 o'clock in the afternoon later that day; the jet lag had gotten to her. She glanced at her phone back to its resting position on the coffee table and realized that it was blinking. _(1) New Voicemail._ Ariadne scrambled for it and punched in her password.

_Hello, love. Hope you had a good flight. It's been a bit of a rough night. Call me when you get this._

Eames' tone sounded stressed and Ariadne felt a pang of guilt for being so cold during the previous afternoon that they spent together. She dialed Eames' number and waited impatiently to hear his voice.

Voicemail. Ariadne cursed and hung up the phone.

* * *

Over the next month Ariadne and Eames communicated through voicemail. Whenever Ariadne called, he would be out working on the case and whenever Eames would try and phone she'd be sleeping or something. It was getting ridiculous; they only had two actual phone conversations during the whole month.

Eventually Eames had stopped calling. Ariadne hadn't heard from him in over a week and the worry was beginning to set in. The last message from him was:

_Arthur and I will be doing some important stuff for the case in these upcoming days. I can't wait to see you. Stay out of trouble, love._

Ariadne left a voicemail every day for the first week that he didn't call. She eventually stopped and resorted to waiting. The second week of not hearing anything was the hardest but eventually it became part of her routine. She'd check her phone when she got up, then again after her morning run, shower, breakfast, library, lunch, shop, dinner, and last right before she'd go to bed. The amount of times she would check began to decrease once it reached a complete month of not hearing anything from Eames _or _Arthur. I mean if something bad had happened to Eames surely Arthur would've called?

Ariadne hadn't gotten a job offer in a long time she realized one morning. Cobb offered her one the week before "The Silent Month"—as she'd like to call it—started but she turned it down. She was beginning to feel very suspicious, in addition to her loneliness.

* * *

It was a rainy Sunday morning. Ariadne woke up and looked outside at the rain pouring down her window pane and got up reluctantly to prepare for her morning run. She thought about skipping out but decided that she'd probably just stay inside and wait all day by the phone anyways. The gnawing worry felt like it was beginning to form a physical hole inside of her stomach. That deep rooted fear that Eames would go and get himself killed, leaving her alone, ate at her ever since they parted ways at the airport. She pulled on black leggings underneath her shorts and wore her favorite old gray sweatshirt that Eames had given her. She propped up the hood and swung the front door open. She gasped and took a step back.

Eames' fist was suspended in midair as if he was just about to knock. He was drenched from head to toe and his eyes looked as if they had seen way beyond their years. He had new cuts near his hairline and up and down his arms.

Ariadne choked back a sob as she stood, frozen to her spot. Eames opened his mouth to speak but before he knew it she slapped him hard across the face. Eames recoiled and hung his head at an angle, with a stunned look on his face. After she got that out of her system she threw herself into his arms, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply. The rain poured down their faces as they stood outside but neither of them seemed to care. The wait was over; they were finally reunited.

Ariadne finally collected herself and pulled away from his grasp. She turned and walked back into her apartment, waiting for Eames to come inside. He stiffly set his wet luggage down in the foyer and shut the door with a quiet _click._

Ariadne exploded but tried her hardest to keep her tone even. "A whole _month_ and not a single thing? Not a word, not a call, not even a two second voicemail. Nothing. I thought you were _dead_. You and Arthur both! And the worse thing was nobody even told me what was going on!"

Eames' head sagged. He was at a loss for words. Ariadne's hands clenched into little fists and she bit her tongue to prevent herself from saying anything she'd regret.

"Ariadne, the things I _saw_, the things that I _did_ is enough to permanently damage somebody." Eames said in a tone that was so unlike Eames that it scared her. He looked her in the eyes and if it was almost as if he was looking right through her.

Ariadne's stomach did a little flip.

"We encountered trouble. We had to go under. We couldn't contact anybody and I certainly couldn't risk contacting you. It was for your safety."

Ariadne could see the stress of the last two months in the creases on his forehead and in the bags under his eyes.

"Is it over?" she asked hesitantly and took a small step towards him.

"It's over." he stated and wrapped his soaked body around Ariadne.


	3. Chapter 3

**As promised, here's the next chapter :) Enjoy! I'm going to be real busy because I have family visiting for the next couple days so I'm not sure if I'll be able to finish the next chapter until probably Sunday. But ya never know so watch out for it! :)**

Ariadne held onto Eames tight. _God, she missed him._ Her eyes were beginning to feel wet but she couldn't tell if it was from Eames' wet clothes or if she was crying. Eames pulled away gently and retreated to the bedroom to take a shower and change into some dry clothes. Ariadne curled up on the couch, hugging her now soaked sweatshirt tightly around her body.

Eames emerged from the bedroom less than half an hour later, his expression grim. Ariadne looked up expectantly and patted the couch cushion next to her. He sank down on the couch and rested his head back, closing his eyes. Ariadne didn't move, she just watched.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" she asked.

Eames opened his eyes, staring back at her. He studied her features carefully and Ariadne shivered a little underneath his gaze. There was something in his eyes that she knew he was holding back but she didn't push the subject further. He finally shook his head and shifted into a lying position. Ariadne cuddled up close and pressed her body tightly to his to feel his warmth.

Eames had fallen asleep but Ariadne remained awake. She was still filled with worry even though he was here with her now. What had happened on that job? Was Arthur taking this the same way? Ariadne quietly removed herself from Eames' arms and walked to the kitchen. She picked up her cell phone and dialed Arthur's number. Maybe now he would pick up.

"Hello?" the point man's tone sounded tired but it still resembled the Arthur she knew and remembered.

"Arthur? It's me, Ariadne."

"Oh, hi. I really want to apologize for disappearing with Eames this past month. It was—"

"Risky. I know. Eames explained. Arthur, what happened?"

"You'll have to be more specific." he said after a pause.

"He's not the same. But he won't tell me what happened."

"In time he will. You'll just have to trust him. Ariadne, I have to go. It was good hearing your voice."

"And you. Bye, Arthur." Ariadne ended the call, upset that she had not uncovered any new information. She turned around and saw Eames watching her from the doorway. Ariadne looked at the floor and Eames turned out of the room. She hated feeling like she was sneaking around. She just wanted to understand what had happened.

She walked back into the living room and saw Eames fiddling with his totem. He shoved it back into his pocket once she approached him. Ariadne draped an arm around his neck and started to kiss him. It took him a little bit before he began to fully reciprocate. He leaned Ariadne back on the couch and she wrapped her legs around his torso. Ariadne felt something wet drip onto her cheek and she opened her eyes to realize there were silent tears falling down his face. She put her hands on his chest and pulled away from his mouth.

"Eames, what's wrong?"

Eames' eyes were glistening as he hovered over her face. He brushed her cheek lightly with one hand and then shifted to lie down next to her, his head resting in his palm as he propped up on his elbow.

"I'm just lucky to be lying here with you, Ari."

Ariadne wasn't exactly sure that was the whole truth but she dropped the subject and brushed away the tears under his eyes.

* * *

Eames woke frantically in the middle of the night. He was shouting some vulgar terms and gripping the sheets so hard his knuckles turned white. Ariadne was startled and jerked away but sat up and moved closer to him once she realized he was having a nightmare.

"Eames, wake up. Look at me. You're fine." This was a change. Usually Eames was the one to be Ariadne's dream catcher. She rubbed his knuckles soothingly to try and get him to release his grip on the bed sheets. Eames forced his eyes open and stared at Ariadne with a frightened look. He felt like something was repeatedly punching him in the side. He cringed at Ariadne's contact and she noticed.

"Tell me what's wrong. What hurts?"

Eames held one arm tight to his side and Ariadne pried it away to lift his shirt up. She gasped at the ugly scar that ran from the top of his ribcage to a little above his navel in a ragged diagonal line. She pulled her eyes away from the sight and looked back up at his face which was contorted into a pained expression. Ariadne lightly traced her fingers up and down the scar and started humming a calm song and Eames felt himself slowly begin to calm down. He rested his head back on the pillows and shut his eyes as Ariadne lulled him to sleep.

Ariadne couldn't sleep for the rest of the night; shaken by the horrible scenarios she started forming in her head about what could've happened to Eames. She couldn't bear just lying there anymore so she decided to get up and go for a run. Something to calm her nerves hopefully.

She dressed in similar attire to what she was wearing earlier and took one last glance at Eames before heading off into the night.

The sky was dark and the only thing that lit up the streets were the street lamps and various house lights of people still awake. The brisk air felt cool on Ariadne's skin and she appreciated the exercise as she ran up a hilly sidewalk. She stopped at a corner to catch her breath and looked around for a little bit. The looming shadows that covered the sidewalk up ahead alarmed her but she assumed it was just her mind playing tricks on her. Ariadne didn't recognize what part of the city she had reached but blamed it on the lack of lighting. She ran to the next street corner and looked around for any sort of identifying factor to tell her where she was. She decided to turn back the way she came when the houses started to get farther apart and the light began to get even darker.

Ariadne continued jogging and began to feel more paranoid of her surroundings. She tried to focus on the next street lamp when the light suddenly blew out and she was encroached in darkness. Her heart started to beat faster as something moved ahead on the street. Ariadne acted on instinct and sprinted to the other side of the road. She slid down the side of a parked car and remained there until her breathing went back to normal. When she believed that there weren't any more threats she carried on her way.

Once Ariadne recognized what street she was heading down she booked it the rest of the way, knowing she'd soon be in the safety of her apartment. She shut the door a little too loudly, not remembering that Eames was still asleep. Or so she thought.

"Where did you go?" he demanded. Ariadne jumped. The apartment was dark and she couldn't pinpoint where his voice had come from.

"I went for a run." she panted and moved carefully through the dark. Suddenly she had walked straight into a solid figure which she figured was Eames. She heard his shallow breathing and ran her hands up his chest to caress his face. He placed his hand over one of them and kissed it softly.

"Please don't take off like that again."

Ariadne wished she could see his face to read his expression but she didn't need a visual to be able to tell that he had been worried.

Ariadne swallowed. "I won't."

* * *

The following week Eames still hadn't fully unpacked and it made Ariadne uneasy thinking that he could easily just up and leave without any notice again. After the first few days Eames began to turn back to his normal teasing self but Ariadne could still see the aftermath that that job left on him in his eyes.

The weekend rolled around and Ariadne cuddled up next to Eames in the bedroom on a Friday afternoon. She kissed his neck and looked up at his scruffy beard as she traced the outline of his tattoos on his chest.

"So… I have a plan."

"What do you mean, love?" he asked puzzled.

"Let's go away this weekend. I don't care where. Let's just _go_."

"Sounds like a plan. What're we thinking? Somewhere warm where we can lie on the beaches nude or somewhere cold where we can hot tub in a ski resort, still nude?" Eames said playfully.

Ariadne rolled her eyes and laughed. She opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by the buzzing of her phone on the end table. Ariadne groaned and reached across Eames' body for it but he was quicker and he pushed it out of reach.

"They'll leave a message." he mumbled into her hair and pulled her back down on top of him.

Ariadne pushed back off of him giggling and reached for the phone again. As soon as her hand hovered above it the vibrating seized. She looked back at Eames who was looking at her with smiling eyes and allowed herself to be pulled back on top of him.

A minute later her phone started buzzing again. They both turned to glare at it.

"My guess is Arthur. Here, answer it." Eames reached his muscled arm out and answered the phone, holding it to Ariadne's ear.

"Hello? Ariadne, are you there?" Arthur's voice asked urgently over the line.

"What do you want?" she snapped a little too harshly.

"If this is a bad time, I can call back later."

"You already did. Arthur, its fine. What is it?"

"A job. This one's for you and Eames if you're up for it."

Ariadne looked at Eames who already knew what Arthur had asked. He snatched the phone out of her hands.

"How are you already lined up for another job after what we just went through?" he asked curtly.

"If you don't wanna take it, you don't have to."

"Take a vacation, Art." Eames said and hung up the phone. He threw the phone onto the carpet somewhere and wrapped his arms around Ariadne protectively as if he was shielding her from the world.

* * *

Late that night, Ariadne went outside on her door step and phoned back Arthur. He gave her the details of the job and she said she'd take it. She hadn't worked a job in over two months and she was actually starting to miss constructing designs for the dream world. Their mark was a corporate magnate and all they had to extract were the expansion plans for their new branch of offices. She would fly out to New York tomorrow afternoon.

"Eames?" she called out as she stepped through the front door. She heard his muffled response come from the bedroom and she moved towards it slowly.

"I took the job." her words came out in a huge rush she wasn't even sure she understood them. But Eames heard her loud and clear. He exhaled noisily and turned to face Ariadne.

"So when are we leaving?" he asked.

"Are you sure?"

"You'll need a forger, am I right?"

Ariadne nodded, confused at his sudden change of mood. His tone was dismissive so Ariadne moved to her dresser and began to remove clothes from the drawers, throwing them into her suitcase.

* * *

The six hour flight between Eames and Ariadne was very tense. Neither of them said too much to the other except for the occasional utterance. Ariadne wanted to ask if everything was okay but Eames looked too absorbed in his own thoughts as he stared out the window.

Eames was actually quite furious with Ariadne for taking the job. He wasn't usually this reluctant when joining a job but the previous one certainly left some bad repercussions on him. The images of tortured, battered women, no older than Ariadne, were seared into his brain. He felt the need to go on the mission, even if it was just like any other job they worked, just to know that Ariadne was safe.

They arrived in New York in the late evening and spotted Arthur quickly walking towards them in one of his immaculate suits. Ariadne reached forward and hugged him. Eames stood to the side and greeted Arthur with a tight half-smile.

Arthur dropped Ariadne and Eames off at their hotel and gave them the details during the drive. They would be working out of an abandoned townhouse right on the outside of the city.

Eames walked ahead of Ariadne down the hallway leading to their suite. Ariadne felt the guilt rising in her. They could've went and had their weekend that they were supposed to have months ago. But her stupid desire to get back to work in the dream world prevented that.

Ariadne changed into an over-sized t-shirt and settled down on the bed with one of the briefing files that Arthur had given her. She put on her reading glasses for the first time in what seemed like forever and began to read through the file. She heard the faucet shut off in the bathroom where Eames was finished taking his shower. He walked into the room towel drying his hair, naked except for his briefs. He lay down on the bed over the top of the sheets sighing deeply.

Ariadne set the case file down on the end table and reached for the lamp to turn off the light. She folded up her glasses and glanced at Eames' face illuminated by the moonlight. His eyes were open but he wasn't looking at anything in particular. She couldn't tell what he was feeling right now but she didn't get too friendly, assuming he was still upset with her. A few minutes passed before she finally felt Eames' body move closer to her, extending an arm around her waist. She turned to face him in the dark and reached up to brush his cheek with the back of her hand.

"Eames, I—" she started but Eames put a finger to her lips.

"Just go to sleep, Ari."


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the wait with this chapter! I was planning on uploading it earlier today but our wifi was down for a good six hours and it really sucked. Well I hope you enjoy and leave plenty of reviews :) I'll try and post chapter 5 by tomorrow!**

"Coffee?" Arthur offered as he sauntered into the townhouse carrying a cup tray of steaming hot coffees. Ariadne declined the offer politely and went back to work on her mazes. All she needed to do was create two basic level mazes and it would be fine. The trio had made the first floor of the townhouse their main work area. The building was extremely old and they were unsure of the sturdiness of the staircase and floors above.

Ariadne had stayed late at the townhouse that night out of guilt for even accepting the job in the first place. The sooner she could finish the mazes, the sooner they would be able to get the job done. Arthur sat at his desk working intently and Eames had gone to get take out. She took this as an opportunity to have a chat with Arthur. He looked up as if he already expected what she was going to ask; after all he couldn't blame her. Arthur met her eyes with an intense stare and Ariadne looked back down at her work. Arthur would be equally as hard to crack as Eames, if not harder. With Eames at least Ariadne had some methods of persuasion. They clearly didn't want her exposed to any of the things they endured during the last job.

Eames returned with cheap Chinese takeout and the three of them joined together in the center of the musty room.

"God, it's awful in here. We couldn't have found a better place to work?" Eames asked bitterly.

Arthur shot him a glare not even bothering to respond. Ariadne wasn't feeling that hungry so she returned to her station to work. Eames watched from his chair.

* * *

Three weeks later, Arthur had finished his research, Eames could easily imitate the mark's right hand man—his brother, and Ariadne had finished her mazes. Arthur had set up an appointment with the mark's office for 10 o'clock in the morning the following day.

Ariadne nervously read over her cover file as she lay in bed the night before. She always felt a certain thrill going into the dream world that nothing could beat. But still every night before a job that uncertainty, the worry that something could go wrong, always got to her.

"Love, get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow." Eames said walking into the bedroom. He clambered onto his side of the bed and removed the folder from her hands, hastily tossing it onto the end table. Ariadne folded up her glasses and succumbed to Eames' tender kisses along her neck and shoulder.

"Good night, Eames." she said sweetly and kissed him good night.

* * *

Ariadne walked into the lobby of Brandon Enterprises dressed in a stunning gray pantsuit. Her hair was in a high bun similar to how she had it on the Fischer job. She headed straight for the front desk.

"Hello, I have an appointment with Chuck Brandon for 10 o'clock." Ariadne said smoothly to the receptionist.

The receptionist looked at her through small rectangular glasses and then back down at her keyboard. She clicked a few things and then looked back up at Ariadne, "Ms. Smith?"

Ariadne nodded and the receptionist pointed down towards the elevator, "Right down there."

Ariadne glanced around the lobby one last time and stepped into the elevator. The elevator was slightly crowded and Ariadne felt in her jacket pocket for the syringe. She took a deep breath and stepped out of the elevator onto the top floor.

Walking down the carpeted corridor Ariadne stopped at another desk. The assistant behind the desk looked at her and gestured her into the office, "Mr. Brandon is waiting for you."

"Ms. Smith, pleased to meet you." Chuck Brandon said as she entered his office. He was a heavier middle aged man with a big ego that you could sense off of him just by hearing him talk. He stood and walked around his desk to shake Ariadne's hand.

"Please, call me Jane."

"And I'm Chuck." he smiled at her. "So I understand that you're looking to invest in Brandon Enterprises?"

"Yes I am. Business has been a little rough and I believe making some deals with your company might help us bring it back." Ariadne spoke swiftly, her words seeming a little too rehearsed. She folded her hands together in front of her.

Brandon nodded and got up to walk over to his elite coffee maker on the far wall. He held up the kettle. "Coffee?"

"Yes, thank you." Ariadne shifted her weight over to the other foot as she stood anxiously in the middle of the room.

As Brandon turned around to pour the coffee into some mugs, Ariadne's heart beat fast as she approached him from behind. She drew the syringe out of her pocket carefully. As he turned around Ariadne pricked him in the neck and injected the sedative. He stared at her with wide eyes but they quickly dulled and he slumped on the ground, shattering the two coffee cups across the floor. Hot liquid splattered onto Ariadne's top and she cringed. She checked to make sure he was fully sedated and then started shouting for help.

The assistant from outside rushed into the room and went over quickly to Ariadne's figure hunched over Brandon's limp body.

"What happened?" she asked frantically.

"I don't know! He turned around to pour some coffee and then the next minute he just collapsed. Quick, call an ambulance. He might be having a heart attack." Ariadne acted the best she could. The assistant complied and rushed back out of the office to dial.

A minute later, Ariadne felt her phone buzz in her suit pocket. She looked at the new message from Arthur. _Call intercepted. On our way. –A_

A few more minutes passed before she heard sirens coming from the street below. Ariadne went over to the huge glass window and looked down to see an ambulance screeching to a halt on the street in front of the company's front doors.

Ariadne walked back over to Brandon and attempted to clean up some of the coffee off of his suit. There was a loud commotion happening outside of Brandon's office and the door swung open to reveal Arthur and Eames bustling in wearing EMT uniforms. Eames carried a stretcher and he set it up as Arthur moved over to Chuck Brandon's unconscious body. Ariadne stayed out of the way as Arthur and Eames lifted up his hefty body onto the stretcher. Eames seemed to know exactly what he was doing, almost as if he'd done this before. He strapped him in and they rushed right back out of the office towards the elevator. Ariadne stayed back and once they left she walked over to the elevator, pressed the button and waited.

The assistant walked over to her and spoke sincerely, "I'm very sorry. This certainly is an inconvenience. I'll be happy to set up a rain check." She glanced over Ariadne's stained suit.

"Yes, of course. I'll be in touch." she said nervously and stepped into the elevator in her coffee drenched clothing.

Once outside on the street Ariadne took several deep breaths. She hailed a cab and directed the driver to a block away from the old townhouse. She impatiently looked out the window as the driver veered through traffic and finally they reached her destination. She paid him and began walking swiftly down the street in the direction of the townhouse.

Her pulse was beginning to return back to normal as the townhouse came into view. She looked around the street before slipping in the doorway. There were muffled voices coming from the main room as she walked through the foyer tensely.

"Eames?" she called, her voice dying out.

"Come on, darling. Waiting for you." Eames' familiar voice replied and she felt herself flood with relief. She walked into the room to find Arthur setting up the PASIV and Eames sitting Brandon up against the deteriorating sofa.

"You clean up nicely." Eames joked as he pointed at her suit. She smiled weakly and sat down in a deck chair they had already set up. Eames pulled his chair up next to hers and squeezed her hand. She kissed him quick before injecting the IV and falling into the dream.

* * *

Ariadne found herself standing in the middle of a large dining hall. There was soft music playing in the background and everybody was dressed in fancy attire. She looked down at herself and she was wearing a flowing green dress that hit right above her knees. She moved her hands to her neck and felt a fat pearl necklace. Eames caught her eye from across the room and he glided across the dance floor over to her. He was looking especially good in his black and white tuxedo and neatly done bow-tie.

"You always knew how to throw a good party," he whispered in her ear as he danced her onto the dance floor. Eames inhaled deeply and let Ariadne's sultry perfume entrance his senses. He let one of his hands wander a little south of her waistline as he held her close.

"So, where's Arthur?" she asked, glancing at his face.

"He should be meeting with the mark right… Now." Eames said as he caught sight of Arthur shaking hands with Chuck Brandon. Arthur turned and nodded at Eames and Ariadne as Brandon followed his gaze. "I think it's time for your meeting."

Arthur and Ariadne sat opposite Chuck Brandon along a black glossy table in a well decorated private office. The music pumped softly through the walls but the chatters of the party were muted through the closed door.

"This is a very interesting proposition you're offering," Brandon said slowly.

"Indeed it is." Arthur slid a shot glass of hard liquor over to Brandon. He tipped his head back and finished it in one gulp.

"Sorry, it's just something about all these parties and all this business _all_ the time. Gotta need something to get you through the day, right? Thank you for that." he laughed heartily and Arthur grimaced back at him.

A second man walked into the room then. He was equally dressed in a slimming tuxedo and his blonde hair was slicked to the side. There was a very obvious resemblance between Brandon and the man. Brandon stood up and wobbled over, elated to see him.

"I haven't seen you all evening Ted! Have a seat. I want you to hear this… This deal—" Chuck Brandon began to sway back and forth in front of the blonde man. His words stuttered and slurred as his talk turned to babble and soon he fell straight forward into the man's arms that caught him easily. He laid him down on the floor of the office and Arthur stood up to retrieve the PASIV from underneath the desk. Ariadne studied the blonde man—one minute he was Ted Brandon, the next he had turned back into Eames. Arthur kneeled down next to Brandon and hooked him up. Ariadne locked the door and Eames brought over chairs. Injecting the IV into their wrists, they fell into the second layer.

* * *

Ariadne blinked and found herself standing in the middle of a large room full of people waiting for a press conference to start. Everybody was dressed in tidy business suits and talking amongst each other. Waiters walked around with trays of champagne and Ariadne snagged one as a waiter walked past.

Ariadne watched Chuck Brandon at the front of the room as he excused himself from the group of people he was talking to. He made his way towards somebody who just arrived at the entry way. Ariadne's eyes flitted around the room for any sign of Arthur or Eames but they were nowhere to be found. She focused her gaze back on Brandon and he was passing the newcomer a briefcase. Taking one last look around the room, she decided to follow the man.

Ariadne walked after the man down a brown carpeted corridor with white walls. The carpet muted the clicks of her heels as she walked along after him. She knew that he was headed for the stairwell and quickened her pace as he crept around a corner. Ariadne walked briskly towards the turn and as soon as she did she was met with a large arm grabbing her by the shirt and shoving her into the wall, a muscled forearm pinned against her neck. The wind had been knocked out of her and she struggled to catch her breath.

"Who are you?" the assailant demanded, his breath hot on her face.

Ariadne's hands reached up feebly to try and pry the arm away from her throat. "J-Jane—" she struggled to get the words out, trying to stick to her cover.

_It's just a dream. It's just a dream._ She had to keep reminding herself. If she died, she'd wake up; pain was in the mind.

"Following me was a bad choice, _Jane_." his words were cut with malice.

The last thing she saw were his beady black eyes and then everything went black.


	5. Chapter 5

**How am I just now realizing the line break option that I have on here? A review mentioned it a couple chapters ago but I didn't fully understand that there was an actual button for it until now. I always tried to type my own into the story and that never worked... So thanks for that AJ Kenobi! Hope you all enjoy this chapter, read and review please! :)**

"Where's Ariadne?" Eames asked as he and Arthur walked into the press conference. Brandon had gone back to talking to some guests and an announcer at the front tapped on the microphone to call everybody's attention. People began taking their seats and as the room settled down Eames and Arthur found Ariadne nowhere in sight. Eames shot Arthur a worried look and dashed out of the room. Arthur followed after him, easily keeping pace.

"Eames! Will you slow down? I'm sure she's fine. She probably just—" Arthur's words stuck in his throat as he rounded a corner after Eames and spotted Ariadne's limp body lying on the ground. Eames was instantly at her side; his expression unreadable as he brushed her hair away from her neck and face. He revealed ugly purple strangulation marks along her neck and he closed his eyes tightly trying to stifle his rising anger. He could feel his body shaking with rage. Arthur laid a hand on his shoulder and Eames jerked away from it.

"Eames, she's awake now. She's fi—"

"Save it." Eames spat. He stood and moved down the hallway.

* * *

Ariadne woke back in the townhouse gasping for air. Her eyes flew open and her hands immediately went to her throat. Memories of dreaming for the first time and getting stabbed by Mal burst its way to the front of her mind. She swung her legs over the side of the deck chair and held her head in her hands. She felt like she was going to hurl. When she finally collected herself she looked around at Arthur's and Eames' dreaming bodies. Ariadne stood unsteadily and paced around the room for a bit.

Her heart seemed to skip a beat as she heard the floorboards creak in the ceiling above. Ariadne calmed her breathing and walked quietly over to the weakening staircase. It was old and wooden and falling apart just like the rest of the house. She crept halfway up the winding staircase and stopped. She heard the creaking again.

Ariadne tiptoed down the long hallway, pausing to listen in each doorway. She reached the room that was positioned directly above their work area below and waited. She took a deep breath before pushing the door open. Small slivers of sunlight filtered through the boarded up window and dust practically hung in the air. She coughed and stepped into the room, watching where she stepped. None of them knew how old the house was. Ariadne stood in the center of the room and suddenly became aware of another presence in the room with her. The door slammed shut and Ariadne felt her attacker come towards her from behind. She spun around just in time for his large mass to dominate hers and she was thrown to the ground. He knelt over her body, one leg on either side of her and pinned her flailing arms down with his knees. He wore a ski mask and spoke with a heavy accent that Ariadne could not identify. He pressed a bare hand to her mouth to muffle her screams and traced his other hand delicately down the side of her face.

"So this is what he was protecting, hmm? His little girlfriend," the man sneered.

Ariadne could feel her eyes watering out of fright as she stared up at her assailant.

The man practically laughed at the terror in her eyes. "Looks like he didn't try hard enough."

Ariadne acted on impulse and bit down on one of the man's fingers, drawing blood. He jerked away cursing and Ariadne was able to land a kick right to his manhood. She scrambled past him towards the door and flung it open, screaming for Eames and Arthur to wake up. Ariadne stumbled down the hallway in her heels, trying to find her footing. The man swiftly caught up to her and seized her by her suit jacket, pulling her backwards. She felt herself being lifted off the ground as one arm was gripped tightly around her waist and the other around her chest. Ariadne kicked her legs wildly until she landed a hard hit to his shin and struggled out of his grasp.

She made it to the staircase when he ran up behind her and contorted her back over the banister, a fierce grip on her throat. She felt the oxygen escaping her body as she struggled to pry his menacing fingers away from her neck. _This isn't a dream. This isn't a dream._ The words were running around in her brain. Ariadne didn't know what else to do except for push back against the deteriorating banister. She heard it creak and felt it shake and wobble. Finally there were several loud snaps followed by a final crack. Ariadne gripped the attacker's shirt and free fell over the banister to the floor below.

* * *

The monotonous beep of the hospital machines caused Ariadne to stir. She blinked her eyes several times to focus, her vision going in and out at first. She became aware of somebody's breathing beside her and she craned her neck to look. An agonizing pain went through her right shoulder.

Her gaze rested on Arthur, whose head hung low and cocked to the side as he slept lightly. His chair was angled towards her bed, his feet propped up on the edge of her mattress and his hands folded in his lap.

"Arthur," her voice was rough and she realized her throat was extremely dry. She coughed and Arthur stirred in his chair. A relieved smile fell over his features as he looked at her.

"Ariadne, I'm so glad you're awake." he said.

"How long have I been here? What happened?" she attempted to sit up but the searing pain in her shoulder and side prevented her from doing so.

"About three days. Just sit still. We'll get you some pain relievers in a second." Arthur said, sitting up straighter and leaning towards her. His features turned grave as he spoke. "The job was successful. But you were attacked by someone we encountered on the last job; someone dangerous. We found you on the floor unconscious at the bottom of the staircase. Doctors say you were extraordinarily lucky to survive a fall like that. Your attacker however, not so lucky."

Ariadne closed her eyes. Horrid memories of the fight flashed behind her eyelids. "Eames said it was over. He said—" She paused and opened her eyes as if she suddenly remembered something. "Where _is_ Eames?"

Arthur stood up from his chair. "I'll go get him."

Ariadne sunk back down into the crisp hospital sheets. She shifted her legs around and realized her left leg felt extremely heavy. She managed to pull back the sheet to reveal a large white cast running all the way up to the middle of her thigh. She sighed and winced as she covered her leg back up. Her thoughts drifted back to Eames. Why hadn't he been here when she woke? The door creaked open and Eames slipped into the doorway, his expression grim.

"Oh, Ari." he murmured as he walked over to her. He went over and sat in Arthur's chair, taking one of her hands in his. He kissed it gingerly and looked up at her with sad eyes.

"You said it was over," she couldn't help but say.

"I thought it was. I had no idea, Ari." he spoke softly.

She rubbed a thumb over his calloused knuckles and managed a small smile. "It's alright. Eames…"

"Shh, Ari don't speak. Just rest."

"No, I need to say this. You stopped me once before." Ariadne fixed her eyes on him. Eames knew what was coming and he couldn't stop it. He couldn't stop the upcoming pain he was going to cause her if he didn't say it back. Once she said it he would never be able to stop the pain she'd feel if something ever happened to him. He could still try and get her out, out from all this danger that followed him everywhere he went. He had to do it and he had to do it to protect her. If he did this, he hoped she wouldn't want to continue in the dream world. He made a choice then. If he did this, the pain he caused her now could be less than the pain she could feel in the future—both physical and emotional.

"Eames, I love you." the words were out and they lingered in the air. Ariadne's gaze was fixated on him, waiting. With every moment that passed her heart seemed to churn a little bit more. He closed his gloomy eyes and squeezed her hand. He pressed his lips to it and murmured something inaudible that Ariadne knew weren't the three words she wanted to hear, even if she didn't know what he really said. He stood up from the chair and leaned in close to Ariadne's face. He planted a firm kiss on her lips and Ariadne could almost feel the goodbye that he wasn't saying out loud. He turned and walked out of the room without a glance back.

Ariadne was shocked. She felt the hot tears stinging her eyes. The emotional pain that she felt right now was great enough to overwhelm the physical pain she was feeling. How could he do this to her? Did the last five months mean nothing to him?

She covered her face with her hands and sobbed.

* * *

Eames couldn't believe he had the strength to do what he just did. He walked down the hallway towards the waiting room and sat down slowly in a chair. He thought about going back but he decided against it. He couldn't get the way she had looked at him out of his mind. Her words echoed in his ears. Finally, he got up and exited the hospital.

* * *

A few more days passed of Ariadne lying around in the hospital wondering if Eames would come back to her. Her only visitor was Arthur and even he hadn't visited since that day. Was he deserting her too? The doctor informed her at last that she was ready to be discharged. That's when she saw Arthur's familiar face waiting for her at the checkout desk. A nurse wheeled her over in her wheelchair.

"Thought you could use a friend," Arthur looked at her sullen face. She had purple bags underneath her eyes from long sleepless nights; the nightmares of her attackers, both in reality and in the dream, haunting her. "How are you feeling?"

Ariadne shrugged and managed a weak smile as Arthur pushed her out to his car. He stole glances at her as he navigated his way through the traffic and towards his apartment in the city. She looked even smaller than she had before, but now she looked lost and alone. And he hated Eames for what he did to her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's the next chapter :) Hope you enjoy and leave plenty of reviews!**

Ariadne was given a set of crutches so she would be able to walk around. There really wasn't a need for them; she spent the majority of her time sulking around Arthur's apartment, lying on his couch with her leg propped up on the coffee table. She found herself spending too much time waiting by her phone, hoping but knowing better. Arthur was always the gentleman, getting her whatever she needed. Ariadne never really felt like talking so very few words were exchanged between the two.

Arthur watched over the course of Ariadne's stay as her physical condition progressively started getting better. Her face was like a mask, hiding all emotions. He couldn't tell what she was feeling a majority of the time. Her nightmares finally ceased after the first month but came back every so often. They shared a bed; he didn't think too much of it.

At last came the day that Ariadne was able to get her cast removed. Arthur drove her to the hospital, finally seeing a look of relief on her face. More emotion than she had shown during her whole stay.

"Ariadne, if you still need a place to stay… My door is always open." he offered sincerely. Even though they didn't interact too much Arthur actually enjoyed her presence. It didn't feel like an obtrusion; it felt nice knowing that he had company for once.

Ariadne turned to look at him with her doe-y brown eyes and she smiled. "Thank you."

* * *

Arthur sat in the waiting room for Ariadne to get done with her appointment. She walked out of the room with a genuine smile on her face and went over to Arthur who stood up as he spotted her. She opened her arms and he took her in them graciously.

One of Ariadne's doctors walked over to the two of them dressed in a long white lab coat. He held out a business card to her.

"Ariadne, I know you've been through a lot. And it's not unlikely for someone to require some professional help after a tragic event like this. It's good that you have somebody for you through this," he smiled at Arthur and added, "But in conclusion here's a card for one of the best therapists I know."

Ariadne took it with a slight look of confusion. "Um, thank you."

"Have a nice day. Enjoy yourselves." he walked away and Arthur turned Ariadne to face him.

"How about a nice walk to celebrate your ability to now walk?" he smirked and Ariadne nodded in agreement.

* * *

Arthur and Ariadne walked aimlessly around Central Park for the next couple hours. After their feet began to feel sore they sat down on a large rock big enough for at least ten people to sit on. Ariadne leaned back with her arms behind her head and stared up at the blue sky. Arthur watched her. She finally looked calm. After everything that she'd been through, she deserved it. Ariadne caught him looking at her and she smiled.

"So what're you going to do now?" he asked.

Ariadne's smile faltered. "I don't know yet."

Arthur nodded knowingly and then leaned back to lie next to her.

* * *

Ariadne had decided to stay with Arthur for the following two weeks. They talked more, went out more, and got to know each other more. Ariadne was shocked at how much she learned about the point man and how little she knew about him before.

They were lounging on his couch one night, watching some cheesy romantic comedy drinking wine straight from the bottle. Ariadne rested her head on Arthur's shoulder comfortably and he wrapped one arm around her. He laid his cheek on top of her silky brown hair and inhaled deeply. His senses were tingling. She tilted up her head to say something and Arthur felt something inside of him surge. He leaned forward and found her lips with his.

Ariadne pulled away speechless. Arthur stuttered, trying to find the right words. "Ari, I'm sorry. Really… If it's too soon—" He was cut off by Ariadne pulling his face to hers. She felt the aching wound in herself begin to fill itself at last. The wine bottle fell out of her hands and clattered to the ground, spilling over the hard wood. Neither of them seemed to notice or care.

* * *

Arthur woke the next morning to the smell of cinnamon wafting through the kitchen. His house smelled like a bakery and it made his mouth water. He felt the empty bed next to him and then got up to put on a ratty pair of sweatpants. He walked out into the kitchen and smiled at the sight of Ariadne from behind. She was dressed in the business shirt he had worn last night, folded at the elbows and open in the front. Her hair was messily done back in a bun. Loose strands fell over her face as she turned around with a plate of steaming hot cinnamon buns. Arthur smiled and walked over, giving her a morning kiss. He deepened it and felt Ariadne rise up on her tiptoes. He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his torso. He gently sat her down on the counter and pulled away grinning.

"Good morning to you too," she replied.

He pecked her on the cheek before grabbing one of the savory cinnamon buns. Ariadne picked up her cup of coffee and sipped out of it. "So I was thinking… I really should be getting back to Paris." Ariadne raised her eyebrows and watched Arthur carefully. Arthur felt his face tense up. Was she treating this like a one night stand? He set his pastry down and turned to face her. She wore a smile on her face.

"But," she started again. "I was also thinking that you should come with me."

Arthur's mood returned and he smiled back at her swinging her legs while sitting on the edge of the counter. "Sounds like a plan to me."

* * *

Ariadne stumbled off the plane behind Arthur restlessly. Arthur walked smoothly like he always did, as if he never got bedraggled or anything. He slid his hand into Ariadne's and made their way towards baggage claim.

Ariadne stared out the window at the beautiful scenery of Paris as they rode in the cab to Ariadne's apartment. She felt happy and she welcomed the feeling gratefully. Arthur was gradually beginning to fill the aching loss she felt in herself over Eames leaving. She just hoped returning home wouldn't change anything.

Arthur retrieved the bags from the trunk as Ariadne walked up her front steps to unlock the door. She took a deep breath and swung the door open. Subconsciously she looked towards where Eames' bag had remained when he had returned from his dangerous job with Arthur. Of course, it was gone. She moved to the bedroom and opened the closet. His clothing that had accumulated over the several times that he had stayed at her place was also gone. Suddenly she remembered something and searched through one of her dresser drawers. The gray sweatshirt given to her by Eames, her favorite, was gone. Ariadne didn't know whether to be thankful or upset. Her hands shook slightly as she pushed the drawer closed and turned around. Her eyes met Arthur who was watching her intently.

"Okay?" he asked.

"It's okay. I'm okay." she corrected.

He walked over to her and just held her in his arms as Ariadne felt the tears coming. She hugged Arthur's body to hers tightly.

"Shh, Ari. I won't ever let him hurt you like that again."

A heaving sob wracked throughout Ariadne's body. "Don't leave me, Arthur."

"Never." he promised.

* * *

It was nearing four months. Eames hadn't seen or heard from Ariadne in four months. He wanted to call Arthur just to be able to check up on her but all he could picture was the point man shouting derogatory terms at him over the phone for what he chose to do. If it ever came to the time that he'd be able to see her again, he wouldn't think she'd want to. All he could hope for was that she'd understand.

* * *

Over the next two months, Arthur gradually started moving more and more of his things into Ariadne's apartment. The two of them were walking through the streets on a breezy afternoon when Ariadne found herself stopping to stare across the street at a familiar building. Arthur followed her gaze and realized that she was staring at the old warehouse that they used for the Fischer job. Both of them became shockingly aware of how long it had been since they worked in the dream world.

"We technically own that warehouse now." Arthur mentioned and pointed his finger at it.

"I miss it." Ariadne wondered aloud.

Arthur looked at her quizzically. "I mean… the architecture; the things I could create while in the dream." she corrected.

Arthur nodded and turned to walk forwards but Ariadne stood rooted to her spot for a moment longer. She sighed and turned to walk forwards with Arthur.

* * *

Throughout the next week, Arthur called several of his contacts searching for a job. He saw the longing in Ariadne's eyes. He saw the same feeling in her that he felt in him. Some people might think they were mad, but once you experience dreamshare there's nothing else quite like it.

Ariadne was sitting under the covers, propped up on some pillows in the bedroom. She wore her glasses as she read her favorite book, _The Great Gatsby_, for about the tenth time. Arthur approached her and sat down on the bed next to her. She looked at him over the tops of her glasses questioningly.

"I've got us a simple job. Are you sure you're ready?" he asked.

"Positive." she replied and kissed him.

* * *

Arthur and Ariadne's relationship continued to build steadily. Jobs came and went and they traversed all over. It felt freeing.

Ariadne found herself on her day off relaxing in their hotel room. She sat out on the balcony in a comfy chair looking out at the street below. She fiddled with the cup of tea in her hands as she began to think about her relationship with Arthur. It seemed all too familiar. Arthur had comforted her just like Eames had after the Fischer job. A relationship bloomed from that and soon they were working jobs together, travelling over continents. She didn't want the same thing that happened with Eames to happen with Arthur.

Arthur walked out on the balcony then and noticed her worried expression. She looked up at him with tears glistening in her eyes. He crouched by her side. "Ari, what's wrong?"

"I've just been thinking." she sniffled.

Arthur didn't need to ask about what. He just knew he had to say what he'd been feeling. "Ariadne, I love you."

Ariadne was breathless. "I love you too, Arthur."

* * *

"Cobb? It's Eames."

Cobb was shocked. He hadn't heard the forger's voice in months. He sounded worn out and broken. "Eames, it's been a long time. How are you?" he asked.

"Been better. Listen. Have you heard from Ariadne? Or Arthur even?" his tone was eager.

"Funny you should ask. They called about a week ago wondering about a job. I set them up. Ariadne should be going home in a couple weeks." he paused, confused as to why the forger needed to know this. "You haven't been in touch?"

Eames was dumbfounded. He should've known better. He wouldn't have been able to prevent Ariadne from going back to work in the dream world. "It's a long story, Dom. Thanks." And with that he hung up, determined to get back to Ariadne.


	7. Chapter 7

**Here is chapter 7 :) Hope you like it and leave plenty of reviews! There will be a small break from updating because I will be on vacation with friends from tomorrow to Sunday so I'll probably have the next chapter up on Monday. Sorry ahead of time!**

Eames was ridiculously impatient over the next couple of weeks. Cobb told him that he would call as soon as he heard word from Ariadne that she was home. He spent restless nights drinking and smoking cigarettes out on the balcony, a bad habit that came back to him after his split with Ariadne.

Eames had fallen asleep in the recliner of his hotel room when the buzzing of his cell phone woke him up.

"Hullo?" he grumbled and then became instantly more awake when he realized who was calling.

"Eames?" Cobb's voice was somber. He had to tell him.

"Yes, I'm awake. I'm here. Is she back?" he asked urgently.

Cobb took a deep breath. "Yes, but—"

"Fantastic. Thank you, Cobb. I owe you one."

Cobb couldn't bring himself to tell the forger the news. "It really isn't a problem. Talk to you soon." And he hung up the phone before he had the chance to change his mind.

* * *

Eames had already had his stuff packed and ready to go. He booked the soonest flight out to Paris and called for a cab. He didn't have time to clearly think until he was already seated on the plane. How reckless was he being? Did he really think she'd just take him back as soon as he showed his face again? What if she had met someone else? That's impossible; he couldn't bear the thought.

* * *

Eames' cab stopped across the street from Ariadne's apartment. He paid the driver and looked hopefully at her door. He took a deep breath and walked across the street. Raising his fist he knocked, just two quick knocks, like he usually did.

He realized he was holding his breath as he waited for somebody to answer the door. He thought about picking the lock, but that wouldn't make a very good impression upon his arrival back. He heard a scuffling come from the other side of the door and Eames steeled himself for whatever he was about to get himself into.

The door swung open to reveal a shell-shocked Arthur staring back at an equally surprised Eames. Arthur followed Eames' eyes as he took in Arthur's half naked appearance. Arthur wore just a mere white bed sheet wrapped around his waist that dragged along behind him. His mouth had dropped open and Eames could feel the hurt and anger inside him begin to mix and boil over. Ariadne's voice called out then, "Arthur, who is it?" and she appeared giggling and smiling at his side. She wore one of Arthur's business shirts just like she had done with Eames, folded at the elbows and open in the front. Her laughter ceased when her eyes met Eames'.

"Eames—" she breathed. Pent up emotions from all the months that he spent away from her bubbled to the surface. Eames' eyes wavered between Arthur and Ariadne and to both of their lack of clothing.

"Arthur, you bastard!" Eames shouted suddenly and lunged forward tackling Arthur to the ground. His fist collided once with Arthur's face and Ariadne went into hysterics.

"Eames! _Stop it!_"

Eames couldn't even tell exactly what he was feeling. Hurt, anger, jealousy… _Love._ Arthur's bare arms went up to attempt to protect his face as Eames threw another punch. Ariadne was still shouting at him, tears streaming down her face. She grabbed Eames' shoulders with her small hands in a feeble attempt to pull him off of Arthur. Finally Eames backed off the physical attack and switched to a verbal attack instead.

"What the actual _fuck_ Arthur!?" he screamed in rage. Arthur scrambled to his feet, pulling the sheet with him. The three of them were standing in a distorted triangle, staring back and forth between each other. The only sound was their heaving breaths.

"I'm gonna go get changed." Arthur said at last looking to Ariadne. "I'll leave you two to talk." He made a point of walking over to Ariadne and giving her a kiss. Eames nearly winced at the affection before him.

Once the bedroom door was shut Ariadne turned to face Eames. He took a step towards her but she took a step back.

"Eames… What are you doing here?" she said evenly.

"Ari. Please, I made a huge mistake. I can explain—"

"Mistake doesn't even begin to cover it! Do you think you can just come around again and screw up what I've finally got going in my life?" she couldn't keep the tears from spilling down her reddening cheeks. "What the hell makes you think you've got the right for even showing up here again? You _left_ me, Eames! All alone in a hospital!"

Her words were like ice and they sliced right through him. "Ariadne, I know you probably won't believe this but I did it for your protection."

"You're right. I don't believe you. What makes you think that if you left me I'd be better protected?" she spat.

"Just listen for one second!" Eames roared. Ariadne finally quieted and stared at Eames expectantly. He took a sharp breath and continued, closing his eyes. "Ariadne, seeing you in that hospital bed… Knowing I couldn't have saved you from what happened. It killed me inside. That job that I did with Arthur? There were women no older than you. Seeing you just brought back memories. I needed to get you out from all this espionage shit that we do for a living! And I thought that if I left, nobody from my past would ever come for you again. I thought that if I left, you'd be done with the dreaming for good. I tried. But I should've known better."

Ariadne was silent. After all this time, Eames did everything he could for her. She opened her mouth to say something but no words came. She crossed her arms and traced her foot along the hard wood floor.

"Eames, I think you need to go." she said at last. Her words stunned him.

He looked at her with longing eyes but complied, "Okay."

Arthur cracked the bedroom door open as Eames exited out the front. He opened his arms to Ariadne who collapsed into them, sobbing. He rubbed her back reassuringly.

"I don't know what to do anymore, Arthur." she cried.

Arthur didn't know what to say so he just squeezed her tighter.

* * *

Eames didn't remember how he got back to his hotel room. The whole drive he thought about the earlier confrontation over and over again until he nearly felt sick. He headed straight for the mini bar in his room and pulled a bottle of scotch out, taking two large gulps. The liquor seared a hot path straight to his stomach. He wasn't going to lose her, not again. There had to be something else he could do.

* * *

Arthur watched Ariadne nervously from the kitchen doorway. She curled up on the couch with her knees to her chest, her hands wringing together. She had been that way the whole evening after Eames had left. There was a buzzing from the counter and he walked over to read the caller ID on Ariadne's phone. _Eames_. He turned the phone over in his hand contemplating whether he should hang up or answer. He sighed and walked out to the living room.

"Ari? Your phone," he tossed her the little black phone and she answered it slowly.

"Ariadne? Can we meet tomorrow? Please. Just this once. If you don't want to see me ever again afterwards I promise I won't bother you again." Eames spoke quickly. He heard a deep sigh come from the other end of the line.

"Okay. Where?"

"That little restaurant we used to frequent that you loved so much. See you at nine." she heard the phone click followed by the dial tone.

Arthur watched her in anticipation. He raised his eyebrows.

"I'm meeting him."

Arthur's features deflated a little and he nodded.

* * *

The next morning Ariadne woke up two hours early. The nerves had gotten to her. What was he possibly going to say? Would he be able to change her mind? Did she _want_ him to change her mind? No, she was happy with Arthur. He would never leave her. It was Arthur who was able to say he loved her after all.

Ariadne spent a good hour looking in her closet for something to wear. Should she dress up? What was he expecting? It wasn't a date. Just a meeting to set things straight. She decided on a plain black t-shirt and a silk blue scarf that Arthur had gotten her when they worked a job in Florence. She slid on some jeans, pulled her hair back, and decided to walk to the restaurant to use up some of her time. It was about fifteen blocks away so she'd get there in good time.

Even though Ariadne had arrived a good fifteen minutes early she saw Eames' familiar figure sitting at one of the outdoor tables. A waiter ushered her over and she sat in the seat across from him. He was freshly showered and she could smell his aftershave drifting off him in delicious waves.

"Morning, love."

"You're on time." she noted.

"Couldn't risk being late for this."

Ariadne thought about his cryptic statement for a second but her trail of thinking vanished when a waiter came over with some coffee. She traced her finger around the rim of her cup absentmindedly waiting for Eames to speak.

"Ari, I know you're with Arthur now. But I also know that what we had was special even if it was only for five months. I've never felt like that with anyone before. I've been with my fair share of women and none of them had made me feel the way you did. One night stands don't mean anything to me anymore. I just want you."

"Eames, I don't know what to say. How come you couldn't have said this before?" she bit her lip. "You made me believe that what we had was nothing when you left. It was like you hung me out to dry."

"Just let me prove it, Ariadne. Because I love you. I did before and I always will." he spoke with confidence and determination.

Ariadne's heart jumped a beat. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Old feelings that she had buried down inside of her surged up again. The feeling was nearly suffocating. Ariadne watched Eames stand up and then kneel down next to her chair, taking her left hand in his. He fixed her eyes with his and smiled his signature charming smile that she realized she missed so much.

"Ariadne, will you marry me?" he revealed a black velvet box with a stunning gold engagement ring.

This couldn't be happening.

Ariadne felt tears welling in her eyes. She couldn't bring herself to do it. Moving her arm almost in a robotic fashion, she reached under her scarf to pull out a necklace. On the chain hung a gorgeous ring with a generous diamond.

Eames' smile faltered. He cleared his throat and dropped Ariadne's hand, standing back up to his full height. His stomach churned. He turned his back to her and then sat down in his chair, hiding the little black box away in his pocket.

"W-when did he propose?" his normally confident tone failed him.

"A week before you showed up." she said in an undertone.

Ariadne could feel the fresh wave of tears hit her. "I'm sorry, Eames. I don't know what to think right now. I'll be in touch." Eames did nothing but watch as she retreated from the table and leave the restaurant.


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm back with chapter 8! :) Hope you enjoy. Thank you to all who have been reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following this story! It means a lot. Chapter 9 hopefully by tomorrow or Wednesday!**

Ariadne had got up abruptly from her chair and left the restaurant without even glancing back at Eames. Her head was spinning. She didn't know what to do or think anymore. Her emotions were a huge mess. She walked quickly down the street; once she got far enough away from the restaurant and was confident Eames hadn't followed her, she sat down on a bench.

When Eames was gone, she knew what she wanted. She wanted someone who would be there for her, someone who wasn't afraid to love her, _commitment_. And that person was Arthur. From the start that's what the whole team had expected. But no, she fell for the forger instead. And only after did she fall for Arthur.

But now Eames was back. And he was offering her everything she had wanted from him from the beginning.

Ariadne realized she had tears trickling down her face. She wiped hastily at them and stood up, heading in the direction of her apartment. She heard quick footsteps approach her from behind and someone had grabbed ahold of her upper arm. Instinctively, Ariadne jerked away. She turned around to come face to face with Eames.

"Ari…" Eames sighed deeply. "What are you doing?"

_Crying_. She wanted to say but she knew what he meant. "Going home. To Arthur. He loves me, Eames."

He threw his hands in the air. "You keep saying that! _He_ loves _you_. But do you love him?" he cried out exasperatedly. He fixed her eyes with an intense stare.

Ariadne was stunned at the question. She paused a little longer than she should have. "Of course. Why else would I have said yes?"

"So why aren't you wearing the ring on your finger instead of on a necklace?" he questioned.

Ariadne stared at him with wide eyes which quickly narrowed and she jerked her arm away from his grasp. "You have no right to judge my relationship." she spat and turned to walk away but Eames moved in front of her, blocking her path. He raised his eyebrows at her and folded his arms.

"I wasn't ready. He understood. We're waiting." she admitted softly.

A spark of hope flared up inside Eames. "Yes, but how long is he willing to wait before he realizes?"

Ariadne bristled with anger and pushed past him, angry tears forming in her eyes instead this time.

* * *

Ariadne was thankful when Eames didn't try and stop her or attempt to follow her again. She reached her apartment door and stared at it for a long time before finally walking up and unlocking it. She opened it tentatively and stepped inside. She heard shuffling coming from the living room and she found Arthur rising up from the couch looking at her expectantly.

"So how'd it go?" he asked.

She cleared her throat, not knowing whether she should tell him what happened or not. She closed the distance between them and he noticed her tear stained face. He took a deep breath as he hugged her.

"He proposed," her words came out in a rush and Arthur's eyes widened. He drew away from their embrace slightly and looked at her with wounded eyes.

"Ariadne, I think we need to talk."

Ariadne nodded numbly and followed after him as he sat down on the couch.

"I need to know, Ariadne. Are you still in love with Eames?" he took her hands gently.

Ariadne swallowed. She had no idea what to say. For the past six months that she was with Arthur she had grown to love him. And she did, she most certainly did. He loved her too; she was positive of that. Would she be able to go back to the man that hurt her so much in the past? Would she be able to leave the one person that she could always trust to be there for her?

Arthur didn't need to hear a response from Ariadne to see the answer in her eyes. He held her hands up to his mouth and kissed them softly. He always had such a gentle touch to him.

"I'm sorry Ari but you need to make a choice," he closed his eyes as he said the words and stood up, walking to the bedroom.

"Arthur, wait." she said without turning around. Arthur remained facing away from her. "Know that I have always loved you. Friend or more; it doesn't matter."

Arthur turned his head slightly and then disappeared into the bedroom.

* * *

Eames lay in his hotel room after returning from his meeting with Ariadne, a bottle of scotch in his hands. He didn't know what to do anymore. He took two large gulps from the already half empty bottle and sat up. He felt the wetness behind his eyes; tears held in from the months he spent away, finally letting loose and falling down his face. He felt something he'd never felt before, something besides love. He felt _vulnerable_. He tipped the last remains of scotch in his mouth before standing up and walking over to the bathroom. He splashed some water on his face and gazed at his reflection in the mirror, an idea suddenly springing to the front of his mind. Hurrying over to his suitcase he began rummaging through his things.

* * *

Ariadne spent that night alone. Arthur had taken some of his things and went to stay in a hotel while Ariadne sorted out what she wanted. She turned the ring, given to her by Arthur, over and over in her hands. She had removed it from the necklace and was analyzing it under the lamp light. Sighing, she closed her eyes and let herself fall asleep, with her hand clasped tightly around the ring.

The next morning there were several knocks on Ariadne's front door. She woke up and uncurled her hands from the tightly balled fists she had rolled them into. She had a mark in her right palm from clutching the ring so tightly. Dropping it onto the coffee table she went to answer the door.

"Hello?" she asked groggily as she swung the door open. A mailman was standing there holding a small brown package.

"Ms. Summers?" he held out the package and a clipboard. "Sign here, please."

She scribbled down her signature and took the package. Saying a quick thank you, she shut the door and began to unwrap it, sitting on the floor right in the entry way. Lifting the lid off the box she gasped as she held up the contents. The familiar gray fabric drooped in her hands. She held the sweatshirt up to her nose and inhaled, breathing in the scent of Eames' expensive cologne. As she shook the sweatshirt out of the wrapping there was a small _clink_ followed by a roll as something small and metallic hit the floor. She blinked and picked up the ring that he had proposed to her with. Closing her eyes and wrapping her hand around it she knew what she had to do.

* * *

Ariadne changed out of yesterday's clothes and dressed quickly. She examined the two rings sitting on top of her dresser where she placed them. They appeared so alike yet so different at the same time. Both beautiful but each had their own story. Grabbing the rings and her bag she hurried out the door.

Ariadne walked down the street until she was able to hail a cab. Once inside the cab she gave the directions to the driver and anxiously looked out her window. The hotel was about three blocks away when they encountered a traffic jam. There was some sort of accident and the traffic was being directed around it. Ariadne impatiently tapped her foot and rolled down her window to look out. Cars were crawling by slowly, like oversized snails she thought. Throwing the driver some money, she got out and began to walk in the direction of the hotel.

Ariadne rode the elevator up to the designated floor and began to slow her pace as she neared the room number. She raised her fist and knocked, holding her breath. Finally the door creaked open and she let out a slow breath.

"Hi."


	9. Chapter 9

**Here's chapter 9 :) All reviews are welcome! And a special thanks to all who have left reviews! They mean a lot.**

Hope flickered across the point man's face as he took in Ariadne's appearance before him.

"Ariadne," he paused and looked at her with soft eyes. "I didn't expect you so soon."

"May I come in?" she asked.

"Yes of course." he moved to the side and ushered her in, shutting the door behind her.

Ariadne remained standing as Arthur leaned against the wall, folding his arms. Her hands were shoved deep in her jacket pockets and her hair was slightly ruffled from walking in the wind outside.

She took a deep breath and then a small step towards Arthur. "Arthur, I'm sorry."

Arthur looked at her with an understanding expression and pulled her in for a hug.

"It's okay."

"If Eames hadn't—" Ariadne started but Arthur stopped her.

"I know. I talked to him."

Ariadne pulled away with a puzzled expression and Arthur continued, "The night before you went to meet him, we met; that's where I went. He told me he understood we were together but he couldn't just stand aside. I understood, I mean if the roles were reversed I wouldn't be able to do it either. But I told him that of course it had to be up to you. No hard feelings; quite mature for him actually."

"He's changed a lot, Arthur." she said with a smirk.

"I guess I'll agree with you there." he replied with a sigh and stroked her hair. "I love you, Ariadne." Ariadne heard the feeling in his words and her heart sank. She wished she didn't have to hurt anybody.

"I love you too, Arthur."

She pulled away from their embrace and fumbled in her pocket. Producing the ring, she put it in his open palm and then closed his fingers around it with hers.

"Thank you, Arthur. But it wouldn't have been fair to you or me."

He nodded and Ariadne turned for the door. "I understand."

Just as Ariadne was about to leave he called out to her, causing her to turn around. "Hey, don't become a stranger."

Ariadne smiled at him. "Never."

* * *

Eames stood by the glass door leading out to the balcony of his hotel room, looking out at the rain beginning to fall in heavy drops. The sky had turned a dark gray and a bolt of lightning shot through it illuminating the street below, followed by a low rumbling. He reached in his pocket for a cigarette and began to light it but stopped. He caught his reflection in the mirror and stubbed it out on the ash tray. He tossed the whole ash tray in the trash along with the pack in his pocket. Rubbing a hand over his growing stubble he moved over to the mini bar and started to pour himself a glass of scotch. There were several knocks on his door and he set down his glass brusquely, sloshing liquid over the counter. He cursed and went to answer the door.

"Hi."

Standing before him was the drenched architect, her clothes dripping wet from the rain. She held up her left hand; the ring he had bought fit perfectly around her fourth finger. She looked at him with glistening eyes.

Grabbing her by the nape of her neck, he pulled her face to his. Their lips crushed together and Ariadne shut her eyes blissfully. Eames held her body tight to his, firm hands planted on her back. He leaned his large body over her petite frame, deepening the kiss and parting her lips farther. She pressed her hips against his and wound one arm around his neck. She reached up her other hand and tangled it in his hair as Eames blindly reached one arm out to shut the door.

* * *

Eames smiled as he stared out the bedroom window at the persistent rainfall. How someone could be so happy on such a rainy day he didn't know. He stroked Ariadne's back as she lay on his chest and she sighed pleasurably. She turned her hand over to admire her ring in the dim lighting and murmured, "I love it, Eames."

"I love you," he responded genuinely and tilted her face up to his so he could look her in the eyes.

"I love you, too."

* * *

Ariadne woke up naturally the next morning. The sun shone brightly, reflecting off of the glistening pavement that was still wet from the day before. She stretched her arms above her head and pointed her toes, smiling to herself. The blanket fell away from her side and she felt the cold air hit her skin from the other side of the bed. Feeling the empty side of the bed with her hand and turning over, her heart skipped a beat. Pulling the thin sheet up to her chest she started to climb out of bed but the bedroom door opened a moment later.

Eames had pushed it open with his back and turned around with a tray of fresh waffles, sliced strawberries, and breakfast sausage. He wasn't wearing anything but his briefs and Ariadne blushed as she sank back down onto the bed, feeling silly. He wasn't going anywhere this time she assured herself and looked at her ring again. He set the tray down on top of her lap with a silly grin and gently climbed onto his side of the bed, nuzzling her neck.

"All this time, you've never told me you could cook." she smiled and turned her head to kiss him on the lips.

"Well, I still can't. But the room service here is pretty good." he admitted sheepishly, holding his forehead to hers.

Ariadne tossed her head back and laughed. It was a simple gesture but Eames realized how much he missed her, everything about her. He would never be able to forgive himself for leaving her even though he was with her now. She reached for the fork with her right hand and Eames took her opposite, kissing where the ring rested on her finger gently.

"So I guess your parents will finally be able to meet this charming foreign fiancé of yours." he said, looking at her with gleaming eyes.

Ariadne's face stiffened but she quickly hid it as Eames' expression changed from teasing to concern.

"What?" he asked.

"It's just—Nothing. We haven't been on very good speaking terms for a while. Ever since I started working with Cobb."

"Ariadne, you can't tell them about dreamshare." he spoke sternly.

"I haven't and I don't plan on it. They got so angry at me last time I visited—months ago—because I would disappear for weeks without contacting them. They wondered why I never took you to meet them and assumed you were bad news since that's when our contact was the weakest. Especially after what happened. They blamed me for everything, choosing guys that weren't right for me, and I just couldn't talk to them for a while. Last they knew, I was with Arthur."

Eames' mouth creased into a tight line and Ariadne reached a hand over to caress his face.

"But I'm with you now. And if they don't like that, then they'll just have to get over it or expect not to hear from us again."

Eames was shocked at her tone but felt reassured. He pushed himself up to be level with her and kissed her delicately on the lips.

* * *

At the end of the week Ariadne and Eames had relocated back to Ariadne's apartment. Eames sat on the familiar sofa in the living room as Ariadne went into the kitchen to contact her parents. She returned a few minutes later wearing a forced smile and Eames raised his eyebrows.

"They're excited that we're coming." Eames let out a sigh of relief. "I told them I was bringing somebody, but didn't say who. I think they assume it'll be Arthur." she said uneasily.

"You didn't tell them the news?"

"I figured it'd be better to tell them in person."

"Yikes."

"It'll be okay, trust me." Ariadne went over and sat next to him and he pulled her into his lap, kissing her shoulder.

* * *

The following day Eames and Ariadne were able to catch a plane ride out to Vancouver. Ariadne felt uncertain the whole trip. She had no idea how her parents were going to react. Eames was delightful; he could charm anybody. But her parents were a completely different story. Her mother, Rose, was like the typical strict mother that never seemed to agree with anything Ariadne did. She had always been closer to her father, Jack, but her father was the type of husband to go along with whatever the wife decided, which caused stressed relations between all three of them. Ariadne was an only child which made growing up harder. People always thought it'd be easier since they assumed she'd gotten everything she wanted, but she always felt an overwhelming amount of pressure from them to be perfect.

Arthur was the kind of person her parents easily took a liking to. He was intelligent, hardworking, and highly professional. He always acted with a purpose, which she loved about him. Her parents weren't going to easily just fall for Eames' suave accent and his English charm like most people did. They'd analyze him; ask him numerous questions about his background and what his intentions were. She just hoped Eames would be prepared for what he was about to get himself into.

* * *

**Yes, I did name Ariadne's parents after Jack and Rose from the Titanic because they were the first names that came to mind since I was talking to my friend earlier about the Titanic. Hopefully, I'll have chapter 10 posted tomorrow! Thanks! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**I think I'll be wrapping up this story soon within the next chapter or two hopefully :) I've got one last idea for this and then I'll be starting a new fic which I already have ideas for. Reviews are always welcome and stay posted! :)**

"Is this alright?" Eames teased as he walked out wearing a white muscle shirt, stretched tightly over his chest, defining his toned muscles. They had arrived in Vancouver the night before and planned to meet Ariadne's parents for dinner. She claimed Eames had to be on his absolute best behavior and dressed like he was about to meet the queen. Eames however couldn't take the task quite as seriously as Ariadne hoped.

Ariadne had her back turned to him, sitting in front of the dresser mirror doing her hair. They locked eyes in the reflection and he flashed a silly grin and flexed his arms; she wasn't amused. Turning around in her seat she glared at him.

"Eames, that's not funny. Please go change."

"Oh, love will you please relax? You said yourself everything was going to be fine!" Eames laughed and went across the room to her.

Ariadne sighed and placed her hands on his shoulders as he pulled her close. "I know. It's just—Please. I want them to love you as much as I do."

Eames looked at her with sincere eyes. "I don't think anybody will be able to do that, darling."

Ariadne closed her eyes and smiled as he kissed her on the forehead. She opened them a moment later and narrowed her eyes at him. A look of confusion crossed his face.

"Stop that." she ordered.

"Stop what?" he stroked her back lightly with his hands. Ariadne pushed away from him and turned back to the dresser mirror.

"Stop making me go all soft. I'm trying to be mad at you." she said trying to keep her voice from cracking. Eames could hear her fighting a smile as she spoke. "My apologies, sweetheart." He wrapped his arms around her from behind and ran his hands tenderly over her torso. He knew she was ticklish.

"Eames, stop it!" Ariadne shrieked as she began to laugh. He tickled her sides and Ariadne jerked an elbow back, catching him right in the stomach. He finally withdrew, gasping slightly.

"Wow, you really are being serious." he said, his eyes twinkling. Ariadne giggled and turned back to the mirror to finish doing her hair.

* * *

Eames emerged from the bathroom fifteen minutes later; wearing a light blue shirt folded at the elbows and open two buttons with tan trousers. He smoothed down his collar and turned around in a full circle for Ariadne to see. She stood up from her chair; her hair was curled into soft ringlets and she wore a knee length black dress with a flowing skirt that spun out all around if she twirled in a circle. Her bright red lipstick created a stark contrast with her pale skin.

"You look lovely." he complimented and offered his arm. "Now let's go wow these parents of yours."

* * *

Eames and Ariadne arrived at the expensive restaurant that her parents had picked out. As they walked up to the door Ariadne felt her body grow tense and Eames tightened his grip on her hand. The doorman opened the door for them, revealing a stunning foyer. Waiters in all black rushed around carrying trays and taking orders. Customers chatted lively at tables clad in white table cloths and swarms of people waited in the standing area either for a reservation or an opening. Ariadne's eyes darted around the room and finally landed on her parents seated at a square table right at the center.

"That's them," Ariadne gestured to the older couple and moved forward with Eames' hand still held tightly in hers. Eames followed her gaze and spotted them, instantly thinking of his first approach. Rose was someone who looked impressively young for her age and bore a shocking resemblance to Ariadne. Her eyes however were sharp and deceiving and such a shade of blue that they almost looked silver. She wore a cream colored pant suit with a thick pearl necklace; her long fingernails perfectly manicured. Eames averted his gaze over to Jack and realized he had much softer, friendlier features. Ariadne had gotten her warm brown eyes from him. He wore a simple charcoal gray suit and an expensive Armani watch. He too was also in outstanding shape for someone of his age.

Upon their arrival the two of them both rose from their seats, not extending their hands until Ariadne introduced them.

"Ariadne, it's good to see you!" her mother chirped and Ariadne pulled a smile as she hugged her mother. Ariadne moved to hug her father and her mother looked Eames up and down with an inscrutable gaze.

"And who's this?" she asked, her voice tight.

Ariadne sidled over in between Eames and her parents. "Mom, Dad, this is Eames."

Eames extended his hand to Jack who took it warmly and then Rose who already wore a slight look of disapproval.

"Eames, ah, I remember now. We've heard plenty about you." Rose said.

Eames' face froze and Ariadne placed a hand over his as they sat in their seats. Rose turned her attention solely to Ariadne. "What happened to Arthur? He was lovely."

Jack started to interject but Ariadne stopped him. Eames turned his gaze towards Ariadne, waiting for her to explain. Ariadne felt his eyes boring into her but kept her eyes on her parents. "I'm with Eames, for good. And we have some news—"

A waiter dressed in all black with his hair slicked to the side approached their table, cutting Ariadne off.

"May I start you off with some drinks?" he suggested.

"Yes, a bottle of your finest." Jack replied naturally. The waiter bowed his head and then departed; when the conversation started up again they had forgotten what Ariadne had begun to say.

"And what is it you do for a living? Something clearly that involves so much travelling that you practically have kept my daughter from me," Rose said, her words sharp.

"I was an Army doctor; I met Ariadne on one of my shore leaves, a month before I finished my service. And I'd have to say it was the best thing that ever happened to me. When I was finished we decided to travel, working odd jobs. It was a very fulfilling experience." Eames replied smoothly.

Ariadne listened intently as Eames talked. She knew that's certainly not how they met but she wondered how much of the other stuff was true. As she continued to stare at Eames' face she realized that he had stopped talking. She blinked and turned her attention back to her parents.

"Well I think that's very brave." Jack said and Ariadne smiled gratefully at him.

"Bravery is just another word for stupidity." her mother's words sliced through the air. The tension in the room was nearly palpable. Eames' jaw tightened and he was trying to ease the growing anger inside of him for Ariadne. Ariadne had warned him her mother was going to be atrocious. He just didn't realize how much. Ariadne's grip tightened around his fingers and she noticeably glared at her mother.

"In that case then, Eames is the stupidest man I've ever met." Ariadne shot back equally as sour. Jack shifted uneasily in his chair and Eames smiled on the inside. "Shall we order?" she added casually and turned her attention to the menu in front of her.

The waiter returned knowing he was interrupting a tense conversation. Pouring the dark wine gracefully into the glasses already on the table his eyes flitted between Ariadne's and Rose's intense expressions, Jack's anxious face, and Eames' relaxed smirk. He was taking it all in stride; getting into an argument wasn't going to help anyone he assured himself and he didn't want to piss of his soon-to-be wife already. Although he was pretty sure he managed to do that earlier in the evening.

The four of them went around the table, placing their orders and the waiter retreated with an understanding nod towards Ariadne. Ariadne was nearly sitting on the edge of her seat and Eames laid a gentle hand on her thigh. It instantly released some of the tension and she turned her head to smile at him. Rose acted like she hadn't noticed. Ariadne inhaled slowly and faced her parents again prepared to tell them the news.

"As I was saying, we have something to tell you."

Rose raised her eyebrows expectantly and picked up her glass, tipping some of the wine into her mouth. Jack leaned forward on his elbows in anticipation.

Ariadne swallowed and reached in her clutch for the ring, slipping it onto her finger. "We're getting married."

Rose choked on her drink and nearly spewed wine all over Ariadne. Ariadne looked anxiously over at her father. He kept looking back and forth between Ariadne's face to Eames', to the ring on her finger and then back again.

"You can't be serious." Rose dabbed at the corners of her mouth with the napkin, careful not to smudge her lipstick.

"I believe we are very serious. Listen, I love your daughter and I've made some mistakes but—" Eames started.

"Ari, are you sure about this?" her father whispered quietly to her. Ariadne gave him a small smile and a sure nod. He grinned back at her causing her to smile wider.

"Ariadne, you need support in your life! You can't just be running all around the country making money that way; well who knows how you make your money!" her mother interjected.

Ariadne's face grew dark. "Being babied by you isn't the type of support I need in my life! I'm a grown adult who can make decisions for myself and I think I'll be the judge of who I choose to marry." Ariadne was nearly shouting.

"Please, dear. Don't make a scene; we're in public." Rose said with a roll of her eyes.

Ariadne stood up from the table throwing down her napkin and Eames whispered to her to sit back down. She felt like a child being scolded by her parents in front of all her friends. "Is that why we're sitting in this fancy restaurant? So I wouldn't throw a fit?" She grabbed her sweater from the back of her chair. "As always, it was a pleasure seeing you. See you at the wedding."

And with that Ariadne stormed out of the restaurant, ignoring the looks she received.

* * *

Once outside on the pavement Ariadne was grateful for the brisk air cooling her hot skin. She breathed it in deeply, thankful to be out of that stressful situation. She couldn't believe how her mother could be so impossible. Ariadne began walking swiftly down the pavement, her heels clicking loudly with every step she took. She realized she had acted a bit like a child but she didn't care. She was sick of being treated like one by them all the time.

Eames darted outside on the pavement and looked in both directions. He saw Ariadne's retreating figure and hurried to catch up with her.

"Ari! Wait!" he shouted, nearly dodging a couple holding hands.

"I'm sorry, Eames. You have to understand." Ariadne said wearily as he matched her pace, walking alongside her.

"I know. I do. Just—" Eames looked at her with slight hurt and anger mixed in his eyes. "You took Arthur to meet them before me?"

Ariadne swallowed. She wasn't expecting that. "Eames, I really don't need this right now. Can we talk about this later?" She turned and headed down the street. Eames easily stepped forward, catching her by her arm.

"There's really nothing to it, Eames. You were gone and we were working a job near Vancouver. He suggested it and I thought why not?" Ariadne admitted. Her words stung him a little but he let it drop. They continued walking to their hotel in silence.


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry this took longer than usual to update! The ideas for this chapter started off really slow so I kept putting off writing it and there was an unexpected family visit so I haven't been able to update till now. But I finally thought of something and I hope you like it :) It is a bit long but I hope that'll make up for not updating it. I think I'll also wrap this story up in the next chapter. Thank you so much to those who have been following and reviewing! :)**

Ariadne had walked several paces ahead of Eames the whole way back to the hotel. He followed along behind her, hands shoved deep in his pockets. Neither of them said anything to each other. Ariadne was still thinking over the events of dinner. She felt sorry for acting that way in front of her father; it wasn't him. It was her mother that caused Ariadne to lash out like that. She also felt sorry for letting Eames see such an ugly side of her and for putting him in that situation in the first place.

Ariadne spotted their hotel from across the street and hurried forward along the sidewalk. Eames jogged to catch up.

"Love, will you please slow down?" he said with a hint of annoyance.

Ariadne only increased her pace and made a daring step out onto the dimly lit road. She didn't know why she was acting like this; it wasn't Eames' fault.

"Ariadne!" Eames shouted frantically as an oncoming truck came into view from up ahead. Ariadne turned to face Eames, not noticing.

"What?!" she shouted back and finally realized the loud sound being emitted from the truck's horn getting gradually louder. She was frozen like a deer in the headlights and Eames acted on instinct, sprinting forward. He ran right through Ariadne, colliding into the parked car across the street. Ariadne gasped for air as the wind was knocked out of her. The truck faded off into the distance and Eames turned to look at Ariadne frozen in shock and leaning against the driver's door. He moved in front of her instantly and gripped her shoulders tightly.

"Are you okay? Is anything hurt?" he asked urgently, gazing into her eyes.

She shook her head and threw her arms around his torso, hugging him tightly. She buried her face in his chest and started muttering several apologies. He leaned back and brushed the hair gently away from her face.

"Come on, let's go." he took her hand and led her up to the hotel room.

* * *

Ariadne tossed her purse onto the sofa upon entering and went straight for the bedroom. She ran her hands through her hair and began to undress, climbing under the sheets in just her undergarments. She was no longer fuming over the altercation at the restaurant but she began to feel the aftershock of her close encounter with death just minutes before.

Eames sidled into the room after her and sat down on his side of the bed, gripping his shirt from the back of his neck and hoisting it over his head. He was still thinking over the events that had unfolded earlier in the night. _If he hadn't acted soon enough she could've_… He quickly buried the thought in the back of his mind. He couldn't bear to think about Ariadne, lying in a hospital bed on the verge of dying again. He sighed and began to remove his belt. As he kicked off his shoes he became aware of a soft sniffling sound. Eames turned to see Ariadne curled over on her side facing away from him. He could see her body shaking visibly underneath the thin sheet as she tried to stifle her tears. Eames removed his trousers and slipped under the sheets, speaking gently to the crying architect before him.

"Ari? Talk to me please," he pulled her back tightly to his chest and rubbed a hand lightly up and down her arm.

Ariadne turned around in the bed to face him, huddling close to his chest. She looked up at him, only seeing the faint outline of his face in the moonlight. She laid a hand on his cheek and brushed a finger along his bottom lip. Eames smiled slightly.

"I just wanted her to be happy for us," Ariadne murmured, her voice barely audible.

"She's just afraid. Every parent goes through it Ari. The thought that their daughter isn't just a child anymore, but a full grown woman discovering the wonders of the world." Eames taunted and began to slide a hand down her backside. Ariadne pressed herself closer to him.

"I don't think every parent has a daughter who's marrying a professional con man." Ariadne joked and Eames laughed.

"At least you'll have the privilege and pleasure of marrying me." Eames leaned over Ariadne slightly and kissed her firmly on the lips. Ariadne responded by kissing him deeply and he rolled over on top of her, hovering slightly above her body. "So where are we thinking? I was thinking maybe a garden because I know this beautiful place but then I realized that you're allergic to bees and I wouldn't want to take the risk of having my wife need an EP pen stabbed into her—"

Ariadne dangled her arms around his neck and gazed at him in awe. "You've really thought about this haven't you?"

"Ariadne, I think about it every day I look at you. What you'll look like walking down the aisle, what it'll look like waking up next to you every single day for the rest of our lives." he said, his voice soft as if he was remembering some fond memory.

"I love you, Eames." she said. The words flowed naturally out of her mouth as if she'd said it a million times already.

"And I love you." he whispered inches away from her mouth, right before kissing her hard on the lips.

* * *

Small slivers of sunlight filtered through the window's blinds and caused Ariadne to stir under Eames' arms wrapped protectively around her. As she shifted under his arms he nuzzled his head in her hair and mumbled something incoherently. Ariadne rotated to lie on her back and traced her fingers on the arm that Eames had draped over her stomach. She sighed aloud and turned to see Eames watching her through sleepy eyes.

"So what's the plan for today?" he asked and entwined his fingers in Ariadne's.

Ariadne's lips formed a tight line and she spoke quietly, "I just want to go home."

"Okay." he agreed and squeezed her hand tightly.

* * *

Eames paced back and forth in the living room. He ran a hand through his hair and looked towards the bathroom where Ariadne was showering. He walked up to the door and knocked, listening he heard the sound of the faucet running and then the shower curtain being pulled aside.

"What is it?" she called out.

"Ari, I'll be back in about an hour. I'm just going out for a bit—Get your things ready, okay?" he answered, his voice steady. There was a slight pause.

"Okay, be back soon," she said a little quieter than before.

* * *

Eames always felt like he was violating Ariadne's trust in him when he went through her stuff. He had looked through her stuff for any sign of where her parents lived before leaving. He had to set things right. Luckily, he came upon several text messages Ariadne had received from her father. Jack said that they had moved homes from when she last visited and he texted the address telling her they should come over. He read the time the message was received and realized he had sent it a little after they had fled the restaurant.

Arriving in front of a large white house with picturesque pink curtains in the windows and a freshly mowed lawn, Eames walked up the steps to the large black door. He shuffled around on the porch before finally getting the courage to lift the heavy gold knocker and drop it with a thud. He did this several more times and waited patiently as he heard shoes scuffling around from inside. After about a minute and a half with no response from the door he hastily turned around and headed for the porch steps, wringing his hands together.

"Ariadne?" a male voice called and the door eased open. Eames stopped halfway down the first step and turned around.

"Um, no sorry. I came on my own," Eames said hesitantly.

Jack's expression softened as he looked hopefully around the yard for any signs of his daughter even though Eames had just informed him she hadn't come. "Please, come in."

Eames followed Jack into the house and he gazed around in awe. There was a grand staircase in the middle of the foyer, swirling up to the second floor. Soft colors bounced all around the house, shades of cream and olive green. The floors were sleek hardwood. Jack led him down a hallway into the living room, decorated with books and potted plants.

"Have a seat, Eames," Jack offered and walked over to a cabinet, producing a bottle of scotch. He tilted it to Eames and Eames agreed graciously. Pouring the amber liquid into two glasses he handed one to Eames and sat in a large recliner opposite the leather sofa Eames was seated on.

"Thank you. Um, Jack I want to apologize for yesterday night—" Eames started but Jack stopped him.

"No, we should be the ones apologizing. Forgive me again, my wife is out. All we wanted was our daughter back." Jack sighed and stared into his glass.

"That's understandable. But I've talked to Ariadne… Whatever is going on or what has gone on before with you, it can't continue like this if you want it to work. She wants to go back home and we're leaving late this afternoon but I couldn't leave it like this." Eames responded firmly. "She wants you in her life, she just doesn't know how."

Jack was speechless and he took an uneasy sip from his glass. Eames continued.

"Listen, I know I have made some mistakes. Leaving Ariadne was easily the worst thing I have ever chosen to do. She told me that you thought she was the one to blame and I want to make it clear that it was in no way her fault. But I love her and I _am_ going to marry her. With your blessing, it'll make it all easier." Eames' words were firm but gentle.

Jack nodded, tears in his eyes. There was a terrible clenching feeling in his chest. "You have my bl—"

At that moment the front door was pushed open and a shrill voice floated down the hallway.

"Jack! Did you finalize the payments for our trip to Bermuda next week like I asked?" Rose's loud heels echoed down the hallway as she neared the living room. She stopped short in the doorway as her eyes settled on Eames sitting across from Jack. "What's this? Where's Ari?" she asked, worry rising in her voice.

"Ariadne's fine. She's back at the hotel. I was just explaining to Jack that we're leaving this afternoon." Eames explained.

"And you couldn't say that over the phone?" she snipped.

Eames set his glass down on the coffee table and stood up, his eyes hard. "Listen, I know you're not very fond of me but I am going to marry Ariadne whether you like it or not. Ariadne doesn't know I'm here, I came on my own. She wants you in her life, _our_ life, and I know you want the same."

Rose's steely façade faltered for a moment and Eames heard an audible gulp.

"Your permission will only make this easier." Eames said, softening his voice.

"Eames, you have my blessing." Jack said suddenly and rose from the recliner.

"Jack—"

"No, Rose. You're always complaining about losing Ariadne but _you're _the one pushing her away!" Jack nearly shouted. Rose cowered in the doorway, all traces of confidence gone. She nodded dumbly, her voice barely audible, "Okay."

Jack was suddenly breathing hard, his breaths coming out in sharp breaths. Eames noticed and recognized the behavior. "Jack? Jack!" Jack's glass slipped out of his hand and shattered over the floor as he reached up and clutched the area over his heart. He fell to his knees and Eames rushed forward to catch him.

"Call an ambulance!" he shouted and Rose rushed out of the room.

* * *

"Eames! Eames, oh god what happened?" Eames looked up from the cold white floor of the hospital waiting room to see Ariadne rushing towards him, her face creased with worry and fear. He opened his arms and squeezed her close, rocking back and forth. He ran his hand through her hair soothingly.

"Heart attack." he said plainly.

Ariadne pulled away and looked at him through tear filled eyes. "Is he going to make it?"

Eames opened his mouth to speak but a doctor in a long white lab coat walked over then, holding a clipboard. "Ms. Summers?" he questioned and approached the couple.

"Yes, I'm his daughter." she turned back to Eames. "Where's my mother?"

"Right here." a voice sounded behind them and Ariadne turned around, instinctively embracing Rose.

"I'm so sorry Mom I shouldn't have walked out." Ariadne mumbled into her shoulder. Rose rubbed her back comfortingly. "No, I'm the one who should be sorry."

Ariadne pulled apart from Rose to look her in the eyes. Her mother's face looked sunken and tired with swells under her eyes from obviously holding in tears.

"Love, the doctor has something to say," Eames slipped his hand in Ariadne's and they both turned to face the doctor. His face was grave.

"I'm sorry; one of the most difficult things I find myself doing as part of my job—"

Ariadne's hands balled into fists. "Just tell me if he's going to be okay!"

"I'm afraid not. He's suffered a heart rupture. We're doing our best to make him comfortable and at ease but it's only a matter of time. You're welcome to go and see him, but I must warn you; you might not like what you see." the doctor said formally and then retreated back down the hallway.

Ariadne was stunned. Her father was lying on his death bed. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. He was supposed to walk her down the aisle. He was supposed to see her get married and have children. He had only turned fifty last year! She walked forward and her knees wobbled underneath her. Eames reached out and looped an arm around her waist.

"Ari, are you sure?" he asked cautiously.

"I need to see him, Eames." Ariadne pushed against him defiantly and walked more confidently down the hallway towards her father's room. Her mother followed silently and Eames reluctantly ambled after them.

Ariadne gasped as she stood in the doorway. Jack's face was pale and contorted in a pained expression. He had several IVs and tubes plugged into his wrists with a tube running out of each nostril to help with his breathing. Careful not to disturb anything, Ariadne pulled over a chair and sat down next to his bed, gently taking one of his hands. His eyes fluttered open and he moaned softly. A tiny smile crept onto his face as his eyes settled on Ariadne's.

"I-I'm so glad you made it." he choked out, his words sounding strangled. His shaking hand moved to caress her cheek and Ariadne placed her hand over it, tears falling down her cheeks.

"Daddy, I'm so sorry. I ruined everything yesterday…" her voice resembled a small child.

"It-it's not y-y-your fault." he stuttered. "Eames is a _good_ man… I'm happy f-for you."

Ariadne smiled through the tears. "Thank you."

"Let me talk to him." he said, his voice sounding clearer but still raspy. Ariadne squeezed his hand and leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. "I l-love you so much, baby girl." he murmured, his eyes watering as he gazed at Ariadne.

"I love you too, Dad," she whispered back and turned for the door, eyes clouding her vision. Her mother was standing by the window in the hallway looking in at the room, tears finally breaking through the barricade and falling down her face. Eames was leaning against the opposite wall of the hallway, arms folded across his chest. They both looked expectantly at Ariadne as she exited the room.

"He wants to talk to you," Ariadne whispered to a surprised Eames. He lowered his head and slowly stepped into the room. Jack reached out a weak arm for Eames to come closer and Eames sat down in the chair Ariadne had pulled over. Naturally, he took one of Jack's hands.

"You… take care of h-her." he gripped Eames' hand tighter.

Eames nodded knowingly. "Of course, sir."

"And check up on, R-Rose. Please." Jack's voice wavered and he gave Eames' hand one last squeeze before his grip slackened and a monotonous beep sounded from the heart monitor. The decreasing jagged line had finally become a flat, continuous streak.

"Jack? Oh, god…" Eames' voice quivered and he felt moisture building up in his eyes. A fat tear rolled its way down his cheek and he stood up from his chair as hospital workers rushed in.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." one of the nurses said firmly.

"No, no that's fine." Eames replied numbly and exited the room. He turned to see Rose's face in the window, a look of pure horror covering her features. He shot her a sympathetic look and walked down the hallway searching for Ariadne. He found her several hallways past the waiting room, sitting on the floor with her head resting on her knees. As he approached she looked up and pulled herself to a standing position, a look of knowing already on her face. She collapsed in his arms sobbing.


	12. Chapter 12

The following Sunday a funeral had been arranged for Jack Summers. It was an appropriate day for mourning, a light drizzle raining steadily down during the service. Black umbrellas were huddled together creating a large distorted rectangle from an overhead view. Many people attended the calling hours but just a handful showed up to the actual burial.

Rose, Ariadne, and Eames stood at the front of the crowd dressed appropriately in all black. A black veil was draped over Rose's face and she held tightly onto her umbrella with a gloved hand. Eames held an arm securely around Ariadne's waist, feeling her body shudder. As the ceremony came to an end the priest asked for the immediate family to step forward. Ariadne stepped forward first by herself, clutching tightly to the white rose in her fingers. Through blurry eyes she gingerly placed the rose on the casket and stepped backwards, turning to hide her face in Eames' chest. Even though he promised himself he would stay strong for Ariadne he felt a tear slip its way down his cheek.

Rose stepped forward next, her expression unreadable underneath her veil. Her body was visibly shaking and a peculiar thing happened then. She started singing. A soft, familiar song. Eames recognized it from the night he returned to Ariadne after the job he'd done with Arthur. She had sung him to sleep after he woke from a vicious nightmare. It must've been a family song he assumed.

Rose laid one hand on the casket as she finished the song. With her voice breaking she stepped back from the casket and Ariadne reached out to grasp her hand, a sinking feeling in her stomach. They watched in despair as the workers began to lower the casket into the pit.

The crowd began to disperse and several people walked up to Rose and Ariadne to share condolences. The news of Ariadne's and Eames' engagement spread quickly and many people congratulated them, but it soon followed with an "I'm so sorry to meet you under these circumstances."

The three of them paused as they reached Ariadne's and Eames' rental car. Eames and Ariadne were catching a flight at ten that night headed back to Paris. Her mother was reluctant to see her go so soon but Ariadne admitted that it hurt too much to stick around for much longer. Rose finally lifted her veil to reveal a sullen expression. Her eyes reflected too much pain in them. She placed her hands on either side of Ariadne's face and leaned in to give her a kiss on the forehead. Ariadne closed her eyes and smiled slightly, feeling like a little girl again.

Rose swallowed and spoke kindly, "Ari, please keep in touch. I've already lost the other most important person in my life."

"Of course, Mom. We've got a lot of wedding planning to do." Ariadne smiled genuinely placing one of her hands on top of her mother's.

Rose patted Ariadne's cheek and nodded. She turned to Eames and straightened her posture to be closer to Eames' towering height. For a moment, Eames saw the fiery fierceness that he had seen when they first met but this time she smiled.

"As Jack gave you his blessing, I am giving you mine. I have to admit I did not like you at first but I was proved wrong. I also must apologize for all the rude comments I made." Rose paused, sucking in air through her teeth.

"All is forgiven." Eames replied with a smirk on his face. He was enjoying this. Rose rolled her eyes and continued.

"You're a charmer, aren't you? Ariadne is very lucky to have found you. But if you ever hurt her again I swear I will hunt you down and find you myself."

Eames chuckled and nodded his head. "Understood."

"Good." Rose gave a curt nod and turned back to Ariadne, pulling her into a tight hug. Ariadne smiled at her and opened the car door to get in the passenger seat. Eames walked around to the other side. Waving through the window, they pulled away and headed for the airport.

* * *

A month later, Ariadne and Eames were adjusting into a normal life. They had agreed on not taking any jobs no matter what as they prepared for the wedding. Their sole focus was each other. They wasted no time on wedding preparations. A week after arriving back in Paris, Ariadne began to pull herself together after losing her father. The memory still felt fresh in her mind no matter how long it had been but Eames was always there to pick her up when she was down.

"Ari! It's beautiful!" Rose squealed as Ariadne emerged from the fitting room dressed in a stunning white wedding gown. Her mother had flown in from Vancouver to visit and more importantly, go dress shopping with Ariadne.

Ariadne cautiously stepped farther out of the fitting room and then in front of the three panel mirror. She gasped. It was a simple dress that fit snug to Ariadne's body and was accustomed perfectly to her height. It was strapless and the bodice was decorated with sequins that twinkled in the light. She looked and _felt_ beautiful. She knew it was the dress.

"Oh, he'll love it." Rose breathed as she gazed admiringly at her daughter. Their relationship was continually getting stronger. When Rose was back in Vancouver, Ariadne remembered to call weekly to talk about what was going on with the latest wedding plans.

Ariadne turned around to look at all angles of the dress and couldn't help the smile that was spreading across her face, a big cheesy grin going from ear to ear. They had already picked a date, February 17, now it was only a matter of time.

* * *

"Love, are you home?" Ariadne heard the forger's accent float through the entry way as she walked through the front door, carrying the large dressing bag in her arms. Her mother offered to store in her hotel room so there would be no risk of Eames peeking at it but Ariadne insisted on taking it with her.

"Close your eyes!" she shouted and slipped off her shoes. She tiptoed towards the living room. "Are they closed?"

Eames made an obvious gesture to put his hands over his eyes as Ariadne eyed him from behind. "Yes, darling. Will you tell me what's going on?"

She giggled and sprinted through the living room towards the bedroom door. The bag rustled loudly in her arms and caught Eames' attention. She hid it away carefully in the closet and walked out into the living room. He was staring at her, smiling.

"You found a dress." he said in awe.

Ariadne nodded and nearly skipped across the room, settling down in his lap. She kissed him passionately. Moving his firm hands across her back he squeezed her closer.

"Can you believe this? We're getting married. We're getting bloody married!" Eames exclaimed as he pulled away from Ariadne's face.

"I can't wait," Ariadne breathed and looked at him lustfully. He responded by kissing her firmly back.

* * *

The next morning, Eames lay awake long before Ariadne. He studied her face carefully as she slept, observing the way part of her mouth curled up almost resembling a smile, dreaming of a faraway fantasy or something. To him, she was his fantasy. Someone he would've never pictured himself ending up with but he was damn happy that he did.

As Ariadne's eyes began to flutter open he reached down and brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "Hey," he whispered. Ariadne smiled up at him. She reached up to touch his face but suddenly jerked her hand away. A nauseating feeling was creeping its way up her throat and Ariadne clambered out of bed in a rush, scrambling towards the bathroom. Eames sat up worriedly looking after her. "Ariadne?"

There was a terrible retching sound that floated out of the bathroom and Eames swung his legs over the side of the bed to get up. Arriving in the doorway, Ariadne's retching finally seized. She sat back away from the toilet, wiping her mouth with a sheet of a toilet paper. Her face was pale and a sweat had broken out on her neck. She looked up at Eames with wide eyes. He raised his eyebrows and then a sudden feeling of realization hit him.

"No…" he said, his words trailing off.

"I think so," Ariadne said weakly.

"You get sick that soon?" he asked incredulously.

"I don't think it's from last night, Eames." she said with a slight smile and stood up to rinse out her mouth.

Eames pinched the bridge of his nose disbelieving. "But… We used protection?"

Ariadne turned to face him, standing toe to toe. She shrugged. "It doesn't always work."

"You mean… I'm—we're gonna be parents?" he asked, his tone a mix of disbelief mingled with joy.

Ariadne smiled as she studied his expression. Eames soon broke down in joyous laughter and picked Ariadne up. Swinging her around carefully in the small bathroom, they kissed.

"We're gonna do this?" Ariadne asked as he held his forehead to hers.

"Of course."

* * *

"Ariadne, you're huge!" Arthur exclaimed as he approached the bench where Ariadne was seated. There was a small flurry of snow that floated down through the air creating a home-y Christmas feel in the park. She was beaming and she hauled herself up to give him an awkward hug, her bump putting a significant space between them. Her jacket was unzipped and she wore a floppy red hat and a matching scarf. Arthur looked her up and down, pleasantly surprised. She looked completely different than the architect he had fallen in love with. "How far along are you?"

"Any day now," she grinned and rubbed her hands over her protruding belly.

Ariadne surveyed the point man and noticed that there was something different about him also but she couldn't pinpoint what it was.

"How are you, Arthur?" she asked genuinely and they lowered themselves back down on the bench.

"I've been really good. I met someone." he said smiling at her.

"That's good! Wow, who is she?" Ariadne felt herself relax. She was happy for him and at the fact that they were able to meet without the awkward tension of exes.

"Her name's Amelia. It's been kind of like a movie; where you bump into someone on the street and you kind of stop and look at each other longer than usual?"

Ariadne smiled. It was so unlike Arthur to hear him talking in such a lovestruck way. Eames would never let him hear the end of it if he had been there. "That's great, Arthur. I'm really glad that you're happy."

Arthur was looking off in the distance at nothing in particular as he was lost in some fond memory. He suddenly realized Ariadne was sitting there. Shaking his head, he looked at her with his usual intense eyes. "So, don't take this the wrong way. But why did you want to meet?"

Ariadne swallowed. "Eames and I are getting married, which of course you obviously already know…" she trailed off nervously. "But as you might not know, my father passed away. And I was wondering if you'd take the honor of walking me down the aisle."

Arthur blinked. Ariadne looked at him, waiting for a response. Once a significant amount of time passed without either one of them saying anything Ariadne spoke up. "If it's awkward or whatever I understand. Eames should be here soon, I should be going." Ariadne struggled to her feet and Arthur rose with her, extending his arms.

"It'd be my honor, Ari," he said honestly.

Ariadne felt tears swell in her eyes and she pulled him into another awkward hug. "Thank you." she said and squeezed his hand.

* * *

"Mr. Eames?" a doctor dressed in blue scrubs and a white lab coat approached Eames in the hallway. "Would you like to see your new daughter?"

Eames couldn't help the tears that formed in his eyes. He nodded numbly and followed after the doctor. The doctor stood aside and Eames entered the room slowly. His eyes immediately locked on Ariadne as she cuddled a bundle of blankets wrapped around their new daughter.

"Oh my god," he breathed and pulled over a chair. Ariadne looked up at him with tears glistening in her own eyes.

"She's beautiful." she murmured. Her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail and there was sweat drying along her hairline. Her physical appearance looked exhausted but Eames could see the joy in the architect's eyes. She had created something that could only be achieved in the real world; it was different from anything she had ever created before and it brought a happiness that only the two of them would understand. She was their Christmas gift, born exactly on Christmas day.

"Do you wanna meet your daddy?" Ariadne cooed and a small noise emitted from the newborn's lips. The word _daddy_ shocked Eames a little bit. It was going to take him a while before he got used to being a father. Whatever struggles he had yet to come, he was ready for them. Ariadne outstretched her arms and Eames gently took his daughter and firmly held her to his chest, rocking back and forth. He spoke in a soft voice, a voice Ariadne hadn't even heard him use before.

"Hi, I'm your daddy," Eames swallowed hard, choking back tears, "I don't know what your name is yet but we'll pick out something nice okay? You look like an Ellie; just like my mum. Do you like that? Ellie?"

"Ellie." Ariadne said, testing out the name. The baby let out a small whine almost in response. Ariadne smiled and said "Ellie" again.

"Welcome to the world, Ellie." Eames greeted. He leaned down with Ellie in his arms and kissed Ariadne sweetly on the lips.

* * *

"And… open."

Ariadne opened her eyes staring in the mirror with wide eyes. Her mother had made her look radiant. When wearing the dress, Ariadne felt unstoppable. Rose brought a shaking hand to her mouth as she held back tears. Ariadne's hair was done in a tight updo just like she had envisioned.

A knock at the door startled the two emotional women and Rose went over to answer it. Ariadne gathered up her dress and stood up from her chair as Arthur entered the room, followed by Cobb—who Eames had chosen to be his best man. Both men congratulated and showered Ariadne with compliments. Ariadne accepted them humbly and blushed fiercely. Arthur held out his hands and kissed Ariadne on each cheek, careful not to mess up Rose's work.

"You look gorgeous." he whispered in her ear and then held out his elbow. "You ready?"

* * *

The hall was beautiful and the ceremony brought tears to everyone's eyes. Eames and Ariadne made it. They were finally getting married, prepared to start their journey as a family together. Eames waited patiently for the priest's further instructions, staring deeply into Ariadne's watering eyes and feeling his begin to water as well.

"Daniel, do you take Ariadne to be your wife? Do you promise to be true to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love her and honor her all the days of your life?"

"I do."

"Ariadne, do you take Daniel to be your husband? Do you promise to be true to him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love him and honor him all the days of your life?"

"I do." Ariadne couldn't contain her excitement.

"I now declare you, husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." the priest stated and Eames wasted no time. He pulled Ariadne into a heart stopping kiss, one that she'd remember for the rest of her life. The crowd erupted into applause and cat calls. Hand in hand they looked towards the audience, both filled with elation. Their eyes both went to the front row where Rose was caressing the almost two month old Ellie. Eames squeezed Ariadne's hand and spun her around to kiss her again. This was his family and he was going to protect it till the end.

**And there you have it! This chapter ended up being really fluffy but I'm a sucker for happy endings. Hope you liked it and remember to leave reviews! Thank you to all who favorited, followed, reviewed, whatever- it means a lot :)**


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